Summers Never End Season 1
by Sunnydale-High-Class-of-98
Summary: The one thing that holds us back from the abyss is our family. So what if Buffy had more of that? This is the story of Michael David Summers, the older brother of our most beloved Slayer. Will be very AU later on. Multiple future pairings. R and R please.
1. Welcome To The Hellmouth

Welcome To the Hellmouth

Michael woke up in a cold sweat, which was weird as the first rays of the California morning sun were breaking through his blinds and tingling on his skin. He blinked and shook his head. Joyce's voice carried up to him from the kitchen, followed by the smell of pancakes.

"Buffy?"

Buffy called back down. "I'm up, Mom!"

His irritated voice came back at her, "Well I wasn't! Thank you Buffy for waking me from Pamela Anderson's loving embrace. Much appreciated." He turned and his feet hit the floor and he let a strained yawn, grumbling as he left the room.

Joyce called up again, sounding cheerful and encouraging. "Don't wanna be late for your first day!"

He heard Buffy muttering dejectedly. "No... Wouldn't want that."

He pulled on his dressing gown and walked through into her room. Michael David Summers yawned again and scratched his head. "You know that talking to yourself is a sign of madness, right?" Buffy stuck out her tongue at him and threw her pillow at him.

"Morning to you too, o bane of my life." She glared at him and Michael looked scandalized.

"Hey, I'll have you know that was a compliment!"

"Huh?" Michael rolled his eyes.

"I'll tell you later B." He headed off towards the shower and he called down to Joyce, "Hey Mom, have you seen my razor?" He had grown a rather nice moustache and soul patch type thing over the last month. The smell of pancake batter set his senses ablaze.

1010101

Buffy was almost silent the whole drive to the school. Michael was nervous. Buffy being quiet meant one of two things, Buffy angry or more likely, Buffy scared. He banished the thoughts as they pulled up outside the school building, which was only confirmed by the sheer amount of hormonal teenagers and the sign saying 'Sunnydale High School'.

Joyce grinned at Buffy as the car stopped. "Okay!" Buffy got out quickly and turned back as Michael did the same.

Joyce smiled a little sadly. "Have a good time. I know you're gonna make friends right away,  
just think positive." She gave Buffy a thumbs up. Michael rolled his eyes and grinned. Buffy nodded. They turned around to see the school.

Joyce called back. "And honey?" Buffy turned back to face her.

"Try not to get kicked out?" Michael scowled a little.

Buffy smiled a small, fake smile. "I promise."

Michael put his arm around her shoulder, but she didn't complain. "She'll be fine Mom." He then grinned widely at Buffy. "After all, she's got her very own bodyguard standing right here." They rolled their eyes and Buffy poked him in the ribs.

Joyce relented. "Okay." She restarted the car and drove off. They turned to the school and Buffy let out a deep breath. Michael sighed.

"Well Buffy, welcome to Sunnyhell High School!" She looked despairingly at him. He grinned hugely and she smirked. "Abandon hope all ye who enter our gym hall." He let out an evil laugh.

"Oh come on Mikey, it can't be all that bad. Kinda looks like Hemery, but with more palm trees." She was smiling, almost happily.

"And fewer shallow bimbo fashionistas, hopefully." He rolled his eyes as a group of half a dozen girls all wearing Gucci and Prada, crossed the road headed by an equally gorgeous blonde and brunette. "I retract my previous statement," he said quickly.

"Hey! I used to resemble that remark," Buffy huffed with her arms folded. Michael laughed and they began to walk forward toward the steps at the front of the school.

Xander Harris was feeling a well known rush as he manoeuvred in and out of the other students. He was quite skilled, and he knew it. "'Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa!'Scuse me, not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me..." As his eyes fell upon the most beautiful girl he had ever seen walked up the steps, beside an older boy who had his arm around her shoulder. "Whoa!"

Then he felt a lot of pain as his skateboard, with him on it crashed in to the staircase railing. "Ow... staring at girls hurts me. Bad idea." Willow Rosenberg rolled her eyes and stepped quickly up the stairs to help him. "I'm okay. I'm good." She grinned as he saw her and their eyes met. "Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see!" Her heart leapt a little at that thought and she internally smirked.

"Oh really?" She said it a little smugly.

They started walking toward the school. Xander sighed, but smiled. "Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math."

Her heart sank a little but her face remained straight. "Uh, which part?"

"The math. Can you help me out tonight, pleeeease, be my study buddy?" She giggled. No one but Xander could make her do that.

"Well, what's in it for me?" She was a little sly and smiled.

Xander grinned proudly at her. "A shiny nickel!"

Willow nodded. "Okay. Do you have 'Theories in Trig'? You should check it out."

"Check it out?"

Willow raised an eyebrow. "From the library? Where the books live?"

Xander finally nodded in recognition. "Right, I'm there! See, I wanna change."

Just then the third of their crazy band showed up and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. Jessie McNally, Xander's brother in everything but blood and Willow's target when it came to poking.

"Hey, hey!"

"Hey, Jesse, what's what?"

"New girl." He seemed pretty excited.

"That's right, I saw her. Pretty much a hottie." He didn't notice the quick frown on Willow's face.

"I heard someone was transferring... two someones actually." Xander blinked at her. "Oh, the guy with her. Brother maybe? So tell!"

"Tell what?"

"What's the sitch, what do ya know about her?"

"New girl!"

Xander grinned. "Well, you're certainly a font of nothing!"

1010101

Michael slouched down in the comfy chair outside Principal Flutie's office while he was 'welcoming' Buffy. The gym incident would be called into question, he wasn't stupid. He still wondered what had actually happened that night before Buffy drove off with Pike. He wanted really badly to know what had actually gone on when the gym decided to catch fire.

But he was patient, and Buffy would come clean when she was ready to. It had always been that way between them, from the first day of high school. She always came to him for someone to talk to; about boys, whether she looked good enough for a party or whether the sky would fall tomorrow. Strangely enough the latter hadn't happened yet.

Flutie seemed like a nice enough guy, but a little ... edgy around him and Buffy. Although he was wondering the pecking order of the school, he had never been the most popular; although he hadn't exactly promoted himself to be popular. He simply was; he simply existed. He wasn't the type to get involved, unless Buffy was involved. Hey, someone had to look out for his vertically challenged sister.

The office door opened and Buffy stepped out, a thin smile on her face. They made eye contact and Michael nodded. He understood and she smiled. "Mr Summers, could you step inside please? Buffy, could you wait there for a moment?" They nodded and traded places, and then Flutie closed the door behind him. He made eye contact with Michael, smiling brightly.

"This isn't standard Mr Summers-"

Michael hid a scowl as he raised his hand. "My name is Michael."

"My apologies Michael. Now as I was saying, this isn't standard, but could I ask you a question about Buffy. Nothing invasive of course but I wanted an outside view on her ... record" Michael nodded. He sat quietly, and then smiled nervously. "I realize that it is ... colourful as she described it, but I don't really see someone like her doing something so ... dark. Could you give your views on Buffy, even if you are her brother?"

Michael spoke without hesitation. "One of the first things you must know about Buffy is this, she is a California girl. That being, she is more insecure than she lets on. She used to draw a veil of popularity and fake friends around herself; in fact I don't doubt there's an exact equivalent at Sunnydale. But she's a good kid and I would defend her no matter the cost to myself. She's my little sister, and my best friend." He smiled. Flutie returned the gesture and nodded.

"Noted Michael. Now about your record, it's quite impressive for an inner city high school. You'll do well here as far as education goes, but the real thing of note is the language scores. That is outstanding for a man of your age. Spanish is obligatory in most schools I've taught at, but you took extra time to learn Russian and Greek of all things. Why?"

Michael grinned. He loved this part. "Curiosity mostly. I won't give you some ghost written story about other cultures being my forte, but languages are. The greatest stories of the old human race are written in languages we barely understand. I want to read those stories and then pass them around." Flutie nodded again, showing himself as a man of habit.

"Thank you Michael, that's all the questions I have for now. I can see a bright career in whatever you may choose to do. Hopefully we won't be called into any problems involving you or Buffy during your time here at Sunnydale. Have a nice day." Michael shook Flutie's offered hand and smiled.

Michael left the office grinning like an idiot. Buffy was sitting in the seat where they had left her. The bell had just gone and the hallways were filling with students on their way to first classes. Michael hugged her and said, "Flutie seems decent enough Buff, I think it could work here."

"You really think so? He didn't like the Hemery report so much." She pouted.

Michael kept grinning. "Well Buff you kinda **did** burn down the gym." He yelped as she punched him in the shoulder, but he could see she was smiling.

"Got to go to class. History, snore." She grinned at the small frown on Michael's face. "I know you love the dark and the dusty Mikey but it makes me want to sleep. See you later Mikey." She turned and walked down the corridor and around the corner.

He spun on his heels and stepped in the opposite direction and turned the corner into a well filled corridor, lined with lockers as expected and bustling with students. He returned the nods from a few of what seemed to be the older kids and smiled at a few of the more pretty sophomore and senior girls. He was male, he liked the attention.

Just then, a short red headed blur sped past him. Michael turned around and saw a boy about six feet tall and a buzz cut hairdo. His face was contorted into a snarl as he looked down and saw the red head hiding behind the door frame. "Whoa big guy, calm down!" He looked very nervous.

"Osbourne!"

Michael now had a pretty good guess of what was happening and he shook his head. He shouldn't get involved, but... The jock, judging by his size of shirt, tried to step past Michael, but he moved in the way.

"Pick on someone closer to your own size fat boy. Or can I call your mom and ask for a second date?" He smiled wryly as the corridor quieted considerably. People were staring at the new kid. He had longish blonde hair, was quite tall and deep brown eyes, which were twinkling with a sly light. He was currently facing down the shorter of the football team's linemen without breaking a sweat. A girl with red hair much darker than the boy's watched from the cover of the hallway corner.

Michael looked up at the jock and then suddenly realized how bad an idea this was. The towering steroid junkie in front of him smelt fear and grinned, teeth like a shark. Michael laughed nervously and fidgeted with the signet ring on his finger. "New meat. How appropriate." He pulled his fist back, and then blinked, and the boy was no longer there. Michael was running away down the hallway, yelping and dragging the short redhead with him.

"Why did I get involved? I am now going to die at the hands of a steroid junkie!" The red head was easily keeping pace with him as the jock lumbered after them. Michael got eye contact with the red head and spoke as they ran.

"Hi I'm new. The name's Michael. What did you do to fat boy back there to piss him off?" He turned the corner and saw the pretty red head girl. He stopped, winked at her and she blushed darkly. Then he took off running again.

"I didn't do anything. Name's Oz." Short and sweet if nothing else.

He was calm and concise. Michael nodded as they bolted into a full classroom and grinned sheepishly at the assembled faces staring back at them. The teacher rolled her eyes and smirked at the two boys catching their breath. She was young and brunette, with small glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. A very pretty lady."Sorry we're late ... Miss Calendar ... had a run in with ... footballer," Oz panted. She nodded and smiled.

"No problem Daniel. Who's your handsome friend?" Michael blinked. Did she just flirt with him? Fair enough...

"Michael Summers miss ... I'm here for Computer Science ... I think." She nodded and pointed to the empty desk, biting her own lip a little and trying not to laugh. They sat down and chuckled as they saw the jock still running after them pass the classroom door. Moron.

1010101

"... So I ended up in Smalltown USA with my mom and sister Buffy." Oz raised his eyebrow. "Short for Elizabeth, this is So Cal after all. Still wonder what my mom and Hank were on when they came up with Buffy though." He grinned.

"A weird nickname. Is she as bad?" Oz was short spoken and so calm it was humbling. Michael liked him and he shook his head.

"She's my little sister, and you need to ask that question?" Oz laughed. "When she was younger, like seven or eight she used to matchmaker me with her friends' dude. I was nine! Girls still had cooties and wore nothing but pink. And this was LA. Not a good place to be with girls chasing you." Oz burst out laughing and Michael fell in as well. "Well Oz, it was cool to meet you but I need to grab some textbooks before next class." He held out his hand.

Oz looked down and grinning; took it and shook it steadily. "Nice to meet you Mike. See you around." He turned and walked down the hall. Michael entered the library and calmly walked up to the desk. There was no-one around that he could see, no sound to indicate that there was anyone about. He sighed and sat down on the librarian's chair, feeling bored.

A glint of something caught his eye, flashing at him from under the counter. He took the heavy tome from under the desk and read the gold scripted 'Vampyr' on the cover. 'Cool story book' he thought to himself. He flicked it open at a page near the back and started to scan quickly down the page. His eyes widened at the detailed and gory manner in which the 'Untill Demons' were described. Pale and translucent, they hunted in packs and devoured their victim's entrails before killing them and eating their hearts and eyes. Wicked, but really gross...

'Whoa. Flutie would flip if he saw –'He cut his thoughts short as a crash resounded from the bookshelf in front of him and sharp yelp followed. He slammed the book shut and jumped over the desk to where a middle aged man in glasses lay in a pile of what seemed like computer equipment. He rolled his eyes and bent down to pull the dazed man out of the heap of wires and chips.

"Why thank you young man. You offered me a great assistance there. Always suspected those infernal machines were out to get me." There was a strong British accent and a slight nervousness which Michael found comfortable to be around.

"No problem man. Michael David Summers at your service, sir." He bowed low, earning a snort from the librarian.

"No need to bow young man. I work for **my** pay check." Michael smirked. "Rupert Giles, school librarian. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"Yes Mr Giles there is something you can help with. You see I'm new in school and I need ..."

1010101

"The new kids? She seems kind of weird to me. What kind of name is Buffy? The brother's a major hottie though. Looks like that college guy Harmony was dating last year."

Another girl entered the changing room. "Hey, Aphrodisia!

"Oh, Hey!

Aura continued. "Well, the chatter in the caf is that she got kicked out, and that's why her mom had to get a new job. Too bad. I might have to go comfort her poor brother myself..."

The girls worked the combinations to their gym lockers.

Aphrodisia looked shocked. "Neg!"

Aura nodded. "Pos! She was starting fights!"

Aphrodisia shook her head. "Neg-ly!"

Aura opened her locker. "Well I heard from Blue, and she said that..."

The pale corpse juddered forward and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Aura started to scream.

1010101

Buffy approached the red headed girl she had seen Cordelia put down earlier. She felt guilty about not helping her out, but this was not the time for that. She needed help and a friend. Seemed like they both did.

"Uh, Hi! Willow, right?"

Willow looked round and replied sadly, "Why? I-I mean, hi! Uh, did you want me to move?"

Buffy frowned, confused. "Why don't we start with, 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and, uh, then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favour. It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while."

"But aren't you hanging out with Cordelia?"

Buffy frowned. "I can't do both?"

Willow shook her head and said sadly, "Not legally."

Buffy breathed out patiently. "Look, I really wanna get by here, new school, and Cordelia's been really nice... to me... anyway, but, um, I kinda have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumour that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up."

Willow brightened and nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I could *totally* help you out! Uh, if you have sixth period free we could meet in the library?"

Buffy froze and backtracked. "Or not. Or we could meet someplace quieter. Louder. Uh, that  
place just kinda gives me the wiggins."

Willow nodded, understanding. "Oh, it has that effect on most kids. I love it, though, it's a  
great collection, and the new librarian is really cool." She smiled widely, enjoying talking about what she loved most. Books.

Buffy blinked. "He's new?

Michael came out the door and heard Buffy talking to the pretty red head from the hallway. He came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Yeah I met him earlier. Nice guy, if a little stuffy. Hi, I'm Buffy's brother Michael. Nice to meet you again." She blushed a little and shook his offered hand.

"I-I'm Willow. Nice to meet you," she said finally.

"Cool. Anyway, about Mr Giles?"

Willow continued on happily. "Yeah, he just started. He was a curator at some British museum,  
or, or The British Museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?"

Buffy and he both answered simultaneously. "Not at all." It was sincere and Willow smiled, breathing easily.

Then Xander hopped up onto the wall behind the girls and sat on it between them. Jesse stood in front of them and dropped his bag beside Michael.

Jesse nodded at Willow. "Hey!"

"You guys busy? Are we interrupting? We're interrupting." Michael smiled. Xander threw his bag to Jessie.

Buffy and Willow greeted them, "Hey!"

"Hey there!" said Jesse. Michael smiled wider. These two were cool.

Willow introduced them. "Buffy and Michael, this is Jesse and that's Xander."

"Oh, me and Buffy go waaay back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved." Michael smirked.

Jesse looked disappointed. "Is it me, or are you turning into a bibbling idiot?"

"No, it's, uh, it's not you." Michael raised an eyebrow.

Buffy laughed, feeling a little awkward. "Well, it's nice to meet you guys, I think."

Michael nodded. "Same here dudes."

"Well, you know, we wanted to welcome ya, make ya feel at home, unless you have a scary home..." Buffy and Michael shared a look.

"And to return this." Buffy's face paled, looking at the piece of wood he was holding. "The only thing I can think is that you're building a really little fence."

Buffy stuttered, "Hah, no, um, a-a-actually it was for self-defense. Everyone has them in L.A. Pepper spray is just so passé." Michael's first thought was _'What? She's lying big style, not a normal thing. Wonder what's got her in that 'mood''_

"So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it." Michael sniggered.

Jesse interrupted. "If you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?"

Buffy laughed nervously. "Gee, everyone wants to know about me. How keen."

Michael laughed. "Age before beauty works out well here." Buffy made a face at him.

"Well, not much goes on in a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale. You're pretty big news."

"We're not. Really."

Then Cordelia sauntered up to them. "Are these guys bothering you two?"

"Uh, no!" Michael shook his head slowly, not liking the vibe this direct, if gorgeous, girl gave off.

Willow blanched. "They're not hanging out with us." Michael frowned. Maybe this girl had done something to Willow; definitely bad pile if so.

Jesse stood next to her. "Hey! Cordelia!"

She wrinkled her nose as did Willow. "Oh, please! I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair," she ignored Michael's snigger, "because gym was canceled due to the *extreme* dead guy in the locker."

Buffy's face went paler. "What?" Michael flinched.

"Somebody stuffed a dead guy in Aura's locker." Michael and Buffy blinked. "Really freaked me and the others out."

Jesse winked at Willow, who looked confused. He shuffled closer to Cordelia. "Y'know, if you need a shoulder to cry on or just to nibble on..." Michael's smile widened. He had respect for this guy; he had cajones, if nothing else.

"Guess it is true then," said Michael nonchalantly.

Cordelia's eyes narrowed at him. "What's true?"

"Oh nothing. I heard that guys would kill to get in there." Buffy and Willow groaned. Xander and Jesse started to snigger, while Cordelia snorted with disgust. _'Intended effect reached. Insert evil laugh here!'_

"That was bad even for you Mikey," said Buffy. Xander and Jesse saluted him and he bowed low.

"My mastery of the goof amazes even myself. Thank you ma'am." She rolled her eyes and grinned.

Cordelia blinked and then retorted, "I can the creepy flowing around you. You're not worth my time." Michael grinned. _'Even if you are salty goodness...'_

"Thank god for that." She walked off, head held high. Michael growled. "I hate shallow people. Get on my nerves." Willow nodded in the affirmative at him.

Buffy stood up with a nervous look on her face. "Um, I gotta book. I'll, I'll see you guys later." She walked off quickly into the school. Four pairs of eyes followed her as she left.

1010101

Michael dropped onto his bed and released a breath. School was good and all, but a new night on the local nightclub? Unknown territory, plus all the danger that came with it. He smirked, feeling slightly creepy at the thought.

Small town equals creepy serial killer or freaky monster. With a name like Sunnydale, it just got worse. All the great examples sprung to mind. Crystal Lake, Elm Street, Amityville and Overview Hotel. Seemingly happy names equals evil.

He picked himself up and rifled through his wardrobe, picking out a pair of worn jeans and a The Who t-shirt. He splashed on a bit of aftershave, which was weird because he kept his taschy-beardy goatee thing well trimmed.

Et voila, five minutes and ready. He heard Buffy picking out an outfit rather vocally, commenting on enormous sluts and watchtowers. A well rehearsed routine he thought as Joyce entered the room.

He walked over and hugged her tightly, causing her to drop the washing basket she was carrying.

"Not that I don't like you hugging me Michael, but what brought this on?"

He released her and blinked dust from his eye. "Nothing mom. Just ... thanks for setting up our lives again after Hemery. Buffy may not say it but she feels the same way. Thank you, for everything."

Joyce smiled and nodded. She left the room. Michael flopped down onto the bed again and waited for Buffy to finish. If she ever did, that is.

1010101

The Bronze was like any club, thought Michael. Except it was smaller, not as packed, good music was being played live and there was no cigarette smoke. He liked this place. The weird thing was the sheer amount of teens and college kids who wore badly out of date clothes. Including himself, some might think.

He saw Oz on stage with a guitar, playing some obscure chords while another guy from homeroom sang into the mic. A lead guitarist with a band. That was pretty damn cool in his books. His eyes glanced around the bar, not focusing on anyone for too long.

There were several characters in the club that looked edgy, apart from Jesse who was practically licking the boots off Cordelia. Michael could see she didn't actually like the boy's attention. Poor Jesse couldn't catch a break.

He saw Buffy and Willow talking across the landing from him. They were both on edge, and Buffy kept looking around as if she was being watched. 'Which she kinda was but that wasn't the point,' he thought. He was bored.

He looked back and Willow was now talking to one of the bad shirt people. This didn't seem like her very much. Buffy was also watching her with ... Mr Giles? This was quite weird. Willow then took the guy's hand and walked out the utility door. He blinked and saw Buffy go after them. Ok now he was interested.

Quickly he stepped down the stairs and followed where she had gone through the utility exit. He turned a corner and slammed straight into a distraught looking Cordelia. They both hit the floor and Michael yelped as he smacked his back off the wall corner. Cordelia looked at him and blinked. Then she glared and started shouting at him.

"You're just as crazy as her, are you going to try and kill me with a pointy stick as well?"

"What?" She stood up and crowded over him.

"Run into me again and the consequences will be ... severe." Michael couldn't help it. He laughed and got to his feet.

"Just try it. Rich snob." With that he walked out the door and into the cool night air. He looked around, but couldn't see Buffy around. 'She didn't ... double-back? Cheeky little sneak.' He decided to keep on walking and try to find Willow and the bad shirt guy. He didn't like the look of him, too ... dated. He walked around to the front of the Bronze and saw Buffy outside with Xander. He stayed by the corner and kept to the shadow, trying to hear what they were saying.

"We're talking about Willow, right? Scorin' at the Bronze, work it girl..." Michael almost laughed.

Buffy interrupted, "No, I need to find her. Where would he take her?"

"Why? Oh, hey, I hope he's not a vampire, because then you might  
have to slay him." Michael froze. 'What. The. Hell?'

"Was there a... a school bulletin? Was it in the newspaper? Is there anyone in this town who doesn't know I'm the Slayer?" 'The what-now?' 

"No. I only know that you *think* that you're the Slayer and the reason why I know that..."

"Well, whatever, it doesn't matter; just tell me, where would Willow go?"

Xander blinked. "You're serious!"

"We don't find her and there's gonna be one more dead body in the morning!" Ok, it was time to follow the creepy little sister and the hulking monkey man to these 'vampires'. Pfft. Right.

1010101

"Ok, either my sister really did lose it in L.A. or this is the most awesome prank ever." Michael had followed the two of them for a little while before the cemetery, and against everything in him that told him to run, he kept following. There was a little ticking noise at the back of his skull that seemed to help avoid all the potholes and new graves that he would usually have fallen straight into.

The graves around him seemed recent, very recent. And there were a lot of them; that was the worst thing. The gargoyles glared down at his trespassing it seemed and the dark silhouette of the mausoleum that Buffy and Xander were near did nothing to calm him. But he still followed. They walked in and he crept up to the pillar, staying in the shadow. He listened to the conversation within, between a badly bleeding Jesse, a terrified Willow, bad shirt guy and a pretty blonde girl. Then she changed.

He cringed back in horror, reviled at the face of the girl. Her head muscles were prominent and her eyes glowed a deep yellow. Her teeth were long and glinted sharply above her ruby lips. Vampire. The word shot through him. And Buffy was taunting her!

"You mean there's actually someone in this town who doesn't know already? Whew, that's a relief, I'm telling you! Having a secret identity in this town is a job of work."

"Buffy, we bail now, right?" 'Good idea.'

"Not yet!" 'Quiet bad shirt guy.'

"Okay, first of all, what's with the outfit? Live in the now, okay? You look like DeBarge!" 'Ouch.'

The two of them circled her, but she stood still.

"Now, we can do this the hard way or... well, actually there's just the hard way."

The blonde snarled. "That's fine with me!"

Buffy nodded. "Are you sure? Now, this in not gonna be pretty. We're talking violence, strong language, adult content..."

The bad shirt guy roared and jumped. Michael thought too slow, 'BUFFY!' Then he turned to dust. 'Thank you God above!' The blonde's eyes widened as did everyone else's, including Michael's. 'Go Buffy, go Buffy...'

Buffy tutted. "See what happens when you roughhouse?"

Darla drew back in fear. "He was young and stupid!"

Buffy motioned. "Xander, go!"

Darla's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't go far!"

The two lunged at each other. Darla threw a punch for the face, but Buffy blocked. Xander helped Willow pick up Jesse. Darla threw a backhand punch, but Buffy blocks again and followed up with a front snap kick to Darla's stomach. As she leant forward from the pain, Buffy slammed her elbow into the blonde's back. She hit the dirt.

Buffy crouched over her. "You know, I just wanted to start over. Be like everybody else. Have some friends, y'know, maybe a dog... But, no, you had to come here, you couldn't go suck on some other town."

Darla's eyes widened. "Who are you?"

Buffy laughed. "Don't you know?"

Then Michael's heart froze as a giant of a man grabbed his sister by the back of the neck "I don't care!" He threw her across the room and hoisted the blonde to her feet.

"You were supposed to be bringing an offering for the Master! We're almost at Harvest, and you dally with this child!" 'They're Amish vampires?'

"We had someone, but then she came. She killed Thomas. Luke, she's strong."

"You go. I'll see if I can handle the little girl." Michael knew that glint in his eyes. A predator.

Buffy started to get up, still a little dazed, as he closed in. The blonde quickly climbed the steps and looked back once. Michael stuck his leg out and she tripped as she ran out, smacking her head off the step and knocking her unconscious. He grinned.

"You're strong." He landed a solid backhand fist on her. She went flying. "I'm stronger!"

Michael couldn't move. His sister was getting beaten up by a monster and he couldn't move an inch. He watched as she backed away up the stairs toward him. 

"You're wasting my time."

"Hey, I had other plans, too, okay?"

Luke shoved the heavy lid off of the coffin. Buffy did a cartwheel onto and over it to avoid it and kicked Luke in the chest with both feet, knocking him down. She grabs the stake from the floor and lunged at him, but he grabbed her by the wrist.

"You think you can stop me? Stop us?"

He grabbed the stake with his other hand and broke it. Then he grabbed her by the shirt. "You have no idea what you're dealing with." He threw Buffy onto the rim of the now open coffin. She rolled off onto the floor, dazed. Luke got up and started toward her, quoting scripture.

"And like a plague of boils, the race of man covered the Earth. But on the third day of the newest light would come the Harvest. And the blood of men will flow as wine. When the Master will walk among them once more! The Earth will belong to the old ones.' 

Luke loomed in her face. 'And Hell itself will come to town.' Michael watched in horror, frozen to the spot. Luke grabbed Buffy and growled. He lifts her by the throat and threw her toward the coffin. Buffy flips over in a front layout and lands in the coffin and Michael heard a quick scream, but then remained silent. Suddenly Luke jumped up and into the coffin. Michael's fear suddenly left him and he stood up.

"Amen!"

Luke moved in to bite Buffy. Michael sprang from behind cover, a rock in his hand.

"**Get off my sister you big bastard!"**


	2. The Harvest

The Harvest

Suddenly Luke hissed and jerked back. A silver cross shone wickedly on Buffy's neck. Michael didn't care. He swung the rotten plank at full force, and it snapped around Luke's thick skull. Buffy seized the moment opportunity and push kicked him out of the coffin. Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the crypt. They ran to catch up with Willow, Xander and Jesse. Nearby, a vampire roared and a girl screamed.

They looked at each other. "Willow."

They ran toward the sounds. Willow struggled on the ground, about to be bitten.

"No! Get off!

Buffy got the vampire's attention. "Hey!" The vampire looked up, and Buffy snap kicked him off of Willow. He got up and ran off. Willow was sitting and staring, mouth wide open. Michael picked her up and pulled her along with them, Buffy quickly starting the hunt again. Two vampires were dragging Xander and Jesse towards the other crypts.

Willow called out. "Xander!"

The vampires turned and Buffy took advantage and jumped in, high punching one and side kicking the other. Michael noticed a dry branch on a tree and snapped it off. As one of the vampires got up she plunged the stick into him, turning him to ashes with a scream. Willow rushed over to Xander who was lying on the ground, looking dazed. Jesse was out cold.

"Xander, are you okay?"

Xander winced and shook his head. "Man, something hit me."

Buffy looked down at the injured boy. "How's Jesse?"

Willow looked desperate. I don't know! He won't wake up!" The anxiety in her voice struck something in Michael and he flinched. He nodded at the thought he had had when Buffy was fighting Luke.

"We need to go see Mr Giles, he can help Jesse.

Buffy looked at Michael. "Thanks for the save Mikey." She turned and hugged him tightly.

She stood up straight and slowly scanned the cemetery. Then she whispered into the wind. "...Merrick."

1010101

Giles paced across the library floor. He had been brought up with this speech from birth. It was his time to shine, although the extra audience watching was doing nothing for his nerves.

"This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures...

"- And vampires," finished Buffy.

Xander nodded. "Okay, this is where I have a problem. See, because we're talking about vampires. We're having a *talk* with vampires in it."

Willow was still in shock, but managed to speak up "Isn't that what we saw last night?"

Buffy gave them a look. "No. No, th-those weren't vampires, those were just guys in thundering need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies. It could have been rabies. A-and that guy turning to dust? Just a trick of light." Xander gave her a look. "That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire. Well, after I was done with the screaming part."

Willow shuddered in her chair, with the blanket around her shoulders. "Oh, I, I need to sit down."

Michael shook his head. "You are sitting down."

Willow smiled weakly. "Oh. Good for me."

Xander wrung his hands, agitated. "So vampires are demons?"

Giles nodded and sighed. "The books tell the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding... Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to return."

1010101

Luke dragged the dazed Darla by the hand back to the Master. "Move!"

They reached the lair, and Luke forced her down the slope to the floor below. The Master  
approached.

The Master pointed his hands at himself. "Is this for me?

Luke knelt. "She failed, Master."

Darla whined, "He was a good one! His blood was pure!

The Master sneered. "You tasted it." Darla looked down in shame. "I'm your... faithful dog. You bring me scraps."

Darla whimpered. "I, I didn't mean it..."

"I have waited. For three score years I have waited. While you come and go I am stuck here, here in this house of... worship! My ascension is almost at hand. Pray that when it comes..." he took her by the neck, "I'm in a better mood."

Darla fell to her knees. "Master, forgive me! We had more offerings, but there was trouble. A girl!"

Luke agreed "And there was a girl. She fought well and she knew of our breed. It is possible that she may be..."

The Master snarled towards the ceiling. "...a Slayer!"

1010101

Xander and Michael each said it. "And that would be a what?"

Giles smiled. "For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One."

Buffy sighed. "He loves doing this part."

Giles snorted. "Alright. The Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is a Slayer, don't tell anyone. Well, I think that's all the vampire information you need."

"So my little sister fights the forces of darkness for a living? SWEET!" Buffy rolled her eyes. Michael could be such a child some times.

Xander shook his head. "Except for one thing: how do you kill them?"

Buffy turned to him, now deadly serious. "*You* don't, *I* do."

Xander blinked. "Well, this is my..."

Buffy interrupted. "This is *my* responsibility. I let you three get taken."

"That's not true. I ... well me and Michael. We followed you."

Willow nodded, still pale, "If you hadn't shown up they would have turned or killed us. Does  
anybody mind if I pass out?"

"Breathe," said Buffy.

"Breathe."

"Now breathe out, you're turning blue," said Michael.

Buffy smirked and turned to Giles. "This big guy, Luke. He talked about an offering to the Master. Now, I don't know what or who, but if they weren't just feeding then this may be bad. I'm gonna find them."

Willow looked puzzled. "Uh, this may be the dumb question, but shouldn't we call the  
police?"

Giles snorted. "And they'd believe us, of course."

Willow considered it. "Well, we don't have to say vampires. We, we could just say that  
there's a, a bad man."

Buffy shook her head. "They couldn't handle it even if they did show up. They'd only  
come with guns."

Giles sat down. "You have no idea where they went?"

Buffy sighed. "I looked around, but soon as they got clear of the graveyard, they could have just, voom!"

Xander looked at her, wide eyed. "They can fly?"

Buffy gave him a look. "They can drive."

Xander looked sheepish "Oh." He ignored Michael's sniggering and yelp as Buffy subsequently jabbed him in the shoulder.

Willow frowned. "I don't remember hearing a car."

Giles rubbed his chin. "Let's take an enormous intuitive leap, shall we, and say they went underground."

Buffy agreed. "Vampires really jam on sewer systems. You can get anywhere in the entire town without catching any rays. But I didn't see any access around there."

"Well, there's an electrical tunnel that runs under the whole town."

Giles nodded. "If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system it might indicate a, a meeting place, it would, uh... I suppose we could go to the building commission.

"We *might* not have time."

Willow raised her hand and smiled nervously. "Uh, guys? There may be another way."

1010101

The Master smiled. "A Slayer! Have you any proof?"

Luke stood still. "Only that she fought me, and yet lives."

The Master nodded. "Hmm, very nearly proof enough. I can't remember the last time that happened."

Luke snarled. "1843. Madrid. She caught me sleeping."

"She mustn't be allowed to interfere with the Harvest!"

Luke growled. "I would never let that happen!"

"Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants."

Luke smiled.

"If she is a Slayer, and sees the town as home, she'll try to save it."

Luke looked to Darla. "I thought you nothing more than a whore, wretch."

He moved behind her and took her neck. She gasped for air.

He leant into her ear. "Congratulations. You've just been upgraded... to cannon fodder."

1010101

Buffy pointed to a path on the computerized plan. "There it is."

Willow blinked. "That runs under the graveyard."

Xander narrowed his eyes. "I don't see any access."

Giles turned to Willow. "So, all the city plans are just, uh, open to the public?"

Michael was staring in wonder at the red head. He was no stranger to government systems and Willow had sliced into them like a hot knife through butter. Here was the queen of the hackers. All shall hail her genius!

Willow blushed nervously. "Um, well, i-in a way. I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally decrypted the city council's security system."

Xander smiled smugly. "Someone's been naughty."

Buffy shook her head. "There's nothing here, this is useless!"

Giles looked at her. "I think you're being a bit hard on yourself."

Buffy despaired. "You're the one that told me that I wasn't prepared enough. Understatement! I thought I was on top of everything, and then that monster, Luke, came out of nowhere..."

She suddenly went very quiet and then gasped.

"What?" said Xander.

Buffy realized it. "He didn't come out of nowhere. He came from behind me. I was facing the entrance, he came from behind me, and he didn't follow me out. The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum! He must have picked up the girl after I got out! God! I am so mentally challenged!"

Xander stood up. "So, what's the plan? We saddle up, right?"

Buffy became very serious. "There's no 'we', okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're not."

Xander sighed. "I knew you'd throw that back in my face."

"Xander, this is deeply dangerous."

Michael snorted. "This coming from the lady herself, of course."

Xander held up his hands. "I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man."

Willow spoke up. "Buffy, I'm not anxious to go into a dark place full of monsters. But I do want to help. I need to."

Giles smiled "Well, then help me. I've been researching this Harvest affair. It seems to be some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on Earth, quite charmless. I'm a bit fuzzy, however, on the details. It may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine."

Everyone stared at him. He looked back at them all.

Giles coughed nervously. "That was a bit, um, British, wasn't it?"

"Just cause you're paranoid, doesn't mean the machines aren't out to get you," said Michael.

Buffy smiled. "Welcome to the New World."

Giles turned to Willow. "I want you to go on the 'Net."

Willow smiled a little. "Oh, sure, I can do that!" She began to type.

"What are my orders, master?" said Michael, hunching over and making Xander laugh. Giles sighed.

"Michael, I want you to look after Jesse and give him an excuse when he wakes up. You seem like the sort who could spin a good yarn."

"Yes master!" He hugged Buffy tightly. "Take care out there sis." He whispered. "Kick some undead ass for us, yeah?"

Buffy nodded. "Then I'm outta here."

Giles stopped her. "Do I have to tell you to be careful?"

Buffy turned back, gave Giles a look and went.

1010101

Willow and Xander paced down the hallway to the next class, Michael following close behind; giving suggestions as to what Willow should search for on the internet.

"Murder, death, disaster. What else?"

"I still say going with unexplained glowy junk and Halloween costumes would work. That or morgue staff needing guns to put down the spread of the undead..." Willow gave Michael a look. "What? George A Romero is my deity of choice at this moment. Him or Bela Lugosi."

Xander nodded. "Paranormal, unexplained, did you get natural disasters?"

"Earthquake, flood."

Xander grinned. "Rain of Toads."

Willow gave him a look. "Right."

Michael smiled. "It's biblical genius if nothing else. Water into blood would make far more sense for vampires at any rate."

Xander was serious. "Rain of Toads! Do you think they'd have anything like that in the paper?"

Willow shrugged. "I'll put it on the computer search. If it's in there, it'll turn up. Anything that'll lead us to vampires."

Michael nodded, agreeing. "I'll go watch over Jesse. Free period is of the good, me thinks." He turned and walked off to the library, leaving a confused Willow in his wake.

Xander sighed. "And I, in the meantime, will help by standing around like an idiot." It was said not a little sadly and dripping in sarcasm.

Willow shook her head at him. "Not like an idiot, just... standing. Buffy doesn't want you getting hurt."

They stopped in front of their next class. Willow put as much effort and care into her words as possible. "**I** don't want you getting hurt."

Xander threw his arms up in frustration. "This is just too much. I mean, yesterday my life's like, 'Uh-  
oh, pop quiz.' Today it's 'Rain of Toads'."

Willow's eyed him carefully. "I know. And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day."

"Nobody knows. It's like we've got this big secret."

Willow blinked. "We do. That's what a secret is, when you know something other guys don't."

Xander indicated the door. "Right. Look, maybe you should get to class."

Willow became a little suspicious. "You mean 'we'. *We* should get to class." It wasn't that she didn't trust Xander not to run off, but she didn't. He really was too much of a kid sometimes.

Xander shifted nervously. "Yeah."

Willow put a hand on his shoulder. "Buffy'll be okay. Whatever's down there, I think she can handle it." 'I hope.'

His face softened at his oldest friend and partner in crime. "Yeah, I do, too." 'I hope.'

Willow smiled widely. "So do I!"

1010101

The mausoleum looked almost pretty in the daylight. Buffy walked in slowly, looking and listening. She scanned around. Satisfied that no one was going to jump her again, she walked down the steps to the floor. She continued and found the tunnel access. It was locked with a thick chain. She lifted the lock. Good heavy steel and hard to crack. The presence from the other night came up behind her. Her 'friend' was nearby.

Buffy spoke to thin air. "I don't suppose you've got a key on you?"

The air answered her, "They really don't like me dropping in."

Buffy turned to face him. "Why not?"

He looked a little guilty. "They really don't like me."

Buffy bit back sarcastically. "How could that possibly be?"

"I knew you'd figure out this entryway sooner or later. Actually, I thought it was gonna be a *little* sooner."

Buffy glared at him. "Sorry you had to wait." She sighed. "Okay. Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"

"Angel."

Buffy nodded. "Angel. It's a pretty name."

She turned to the tunnel entrance.

Angel stepped towards her. "Don't... go down there."

Buffy turned back. "Deal with my going."

"You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. Tonight is the Harvest. Unless you can prevent it, the Master walks."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Well, if this Harvest thing is such a suckfest, why don't *you* stop it?"

Angel breathed deep. "'Cause I'm afraid."

She looked at him for a moment and then spun around quickly, kicking open the doors to the tunnel. She turned back to him.

"They'll be expecting you."

"I've got friends out there. Or at least potential friends. Do you know what it's like to have a friend?"

He lowered his eyes as a look of sadness filled them.

Buffy looked at him, feeling guilty. "That wasn't supposed to be a stumper."

They looked at each other a moment longer. Each was sizing the other up, feeling a little awkward.

Angel spoke first, "When you hit the tunnels head east towards the school. That's where you're likely to find them."

Buffy nodded and asked hopefully, "You gonna wish me luck?"

Angel says nothing. They look at each other for another moment, then Buffy turns and heads into the tunnels. He watches her go.

Angel stood still, and then whispered, "Good luck," feeling guilt pour into him.

1010101

Michael booted the library doors open, apologizing to Giles as he walked through the doors. The librarian in question was nowhere in the sight. Michael sighed and stepped up to the desk in the centre, where he had stashed the copy of Vampyre the day before. He was feeling overwhelmed and very tired.

The creatures in every nightmare he had ever had were probably real, his sister fought them and he had a few splinters in his fingers. Not of the good. He had nearly let his sister down again. That was what scared him the most. The incident after Hemery with the hospital... he could never forgive himself for that. The bastard that called himself their father had her committed. Michael was convinced that the vamps could have him. He had flinched and hesitated, almost letting Luke kill her.

Thank God for silver crucifixes and wooden planks. He was angry, completely angry. Not at anyone in particular, but his spirit was in flames. He didn't like that his sister was the only one in the world that could fight these things effectively, but as he always did, he would go along with it and help his little sis win. Saving the world is only a few steps up from beating a jerk boyfriend... right?

He jumped as he heard the unconscious Jesse groan and begin to stir. Oh crap. 'Think of excuse, think of excuse, THINK OF EXCUSE!'

Jesse twisted and turned, his eyelids fluttering and whimpering about monsters. Michael was cringing away and trying desperately to think of a way to explain his nightmares. Then Jesse was completely still and began to snore slightly, muttering occasionally about a dark haired beauty, whoever that was ... Michael exhaled with relief and sat back down.

He heard Giles quoting aloud from the stacks, "For they will gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours life. P... Pours life...On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice  
it will come... Of course. That's tonight!"

"What's tonight Giles? What did you find?"

The older librarian came out of the stacks holding a thick tome of yellow pages and wearing a grim smile on his face.

1010101  
Cordelia threw her hands up and whined, "No! It's supposed to find the syntax and match it. Or wait..."

Harmony looked at the screen, dazed. "Are we going to the Bronze tonight?"

Cordelia gave her a look. "No, we're going to the other cool place in Sunnydale."

Harmony looked confused.

Cordelia sighed. "Of course we're going to the Bronze. Friday night? No cover? But you should have been there last night. 'Cause I ran into Buffy..."

Willow overheard them talking. She didn't like where this was going.

Cordelia blabbed on, "...and can she be any weirder? She attacked me! Do you believe it? I swear! There is no way she can be related to that sweet piece of salty goodness that is Michael."

Harmony exhaled, "I think we did this part wrong."

Cordelia: Why do we have to devise these programs, isn't that what nerds are for?" She whispered, indicating Willow. "What'd she do?"

"Uh, she's doing something else."

Cordelia smiled. "Okay and then pattern run, right? Or go to end? That's it!"

Harmony smiled nervously, "Maybe!"

Cordelia sat back in her chair. "So anyway, I come outta the bathroom, and she comes running at me. Screaming! With a stick! I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you! I swear!"

Another classmate turned and asked, "Who?"

Cordelia said it loud enough. "Buffy!"

Harmony raised an eyebrow. "The new girl?"

"What's her deal?"

Cordelia scoffed. "Well, she's crazed."

Harmony leaned in closer. "Did you hear about her old school?"

Cordelia and the boy both shook their heads.

"Booted." Harmony said it with a sadistic satisfaction.

Cordelia smiled quickly, storing it away for later, and rolled her eyes. "Well, I exhibit no surprise."

"Why was she kicked out?"

"Uh, because she's a psycho loony!"

Ok that was enough. Willow's face turned a light shade of pink. "No, she's not!"

Cordelia's jaw dropped in outrage. "What?"

Willow turned to them, her eyes glinting dangerously. "She's not a psycho! You don't even know her! And her brother isn't just some piece of male ... flesh for you to get your hands on!"

Cordelia smirked nastily. "Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist?"

Willow turned away, her eyes down. That had hurt.

"Do I horn in on your private discussions? No. Why? Because you're boring."

Willow got up and went to get her printouts. She wanted payback for Buffy and her hurt pride.

Harmony smiled and breathed out, "Okay, I think the program's done."

Cordelia stretched her arms in the chair. "Finally the nightmare ends! Okay, so how do we save it?"

Willow thought quickly and laughed internally. "Deliver."

Cordelia narrowed her eyes at the keyboard. "Deliver? Where's that? Oh!"

She hits the "Del" key, and her program disappeared. She stared at the screen in wide-eyed, open-mouthed horror. Willow closed the door behind her, a small smug smile gracing her lips.

1010101  
"She escaped?" The Master was now snarling at his minion, who was shivering in fear and shame. "She walks free when I should be drinking her heart's blood right now? Careless..."

Colin stuttered, "M-Master, we had her trapped!"

The Master raised a thin white eyebrow. "Oh, are you going to make excuses?" Colin remained silent.

The Master sneered. "You are all weak. It has been too long since you have faced the Slayer. Huh. It is no matter to me. She will not stop the Harvest. Just means there'll be someone worth killing... when I reach the surface. Is Luke ready?

Colin nodded. "He waits."

"It's time. Bring him to me. Ah, Colin... You failed me. Tell me you're sorry."

Colin fell to his knees. "I'm sorry!"

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it? Hold on..." He stabbed his finger into Colin's face. "You've got something in your eye."

1010101

"So what you are telling me is this? Powerful ugly vampire is coming out to play tonight after sixty years? Damn it, why can't this be more simple than blood and gore flying everywhere? ... Actually, come to think of it, that's pretty simple." Giles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. They both turned as the sound of the door opening caught their attention.

Giles called out from the stairs. "Buffy?"

Willow smiled awkwardly. "It's just me. So there's no word?" Michael shook his head, a little anxious smile on his face.

Giles took off his glasses and began to clean the lenses with his blazer sleeve. Michael had seen him repeat this ritual ever since Buffy left. "Ah, not as yet, no."

Willow stuttered, "Well, I-I'm sure she's... great."

"Did you find anything of interest?"

Willow blinked innocently and nodded. "I think, maybe... I surfed through the old newspapers around the time of that big earthquake back in '37? And for several months before there were a rash of murders."

Giles smiled. "Great! I-I mean, well, not, not 'great' in a good way, uh, um, uh, go on?"

Michael grinned, "Of course Giles. Not morbidly enthusiastic at all there."

Willow smiled. "Well, they sound like the kind you were looking for. Throats, blood..." She grimaced at some of the case reports.

"It's all coming together. I rather wish it weren't."

Michael looked at the older man, a little in awe, a lot in exasperation. "Nothing seems to really faze you British, does it?"

1010101

Luke approached the Master and knelt before him. The Master offered his hand. Luke took it and kissed it. He released it and the Master turned it over to offer the underside of his wrist. Darla was watching and she frowned. Luke opened the cuff of the Master's sleeve and pulls it back. He took his hand again, sank his fangs into the wrist above it and drank of the blood. He released the hand, and the Master took it back.

The Master watched Luke appraisingly. "My blood is your blood. My soul is your soul."

Luke bared his fangs in respect. "My body is your instrument."

The Master stepped down to Luke and began to draw a three-pointed star on Luke's forehead with the blood still flowing from his wrist.

"On this... most hallowed night... we are as one. Luke is the Vessel!"

Darla's whimpered quietly as the other vampires cheered. Her sire had changed since he had awoken. He was crueller to her and even the fledglings. This wasn't Angelus' cruelty either, her Master now treated her worse than William, before he had ran off with Drusilla. She didn't like it.

The Master raised his arms to the air. "Every soul he takes will feed me. And their souls will grant me the strength to free myself. Tonight I shall walk the Earth, and the stars themselves will hide!"

1010101

Willow was looking at one of Giles' volumes with Michael reading over her shoulder. They  
heard the door open and looked up to see Xander and Buffy come in. Michael quickly ran up and embraced his little sister.

He smiled down at her. "Hey sis." She slowly returned it.

Willow looked at them expectantly. "Did you find them?"

Xander sighed. "Yeah."

Willow felt despair "They're not dead?"

Buffy sat down and cupped her head in her hands. "Nope. I'm sorry, Willow. We were too late. And they were waiting for us."

Willow deflated. "At least you two are okay. We sent Jesse home. He's pretty shaken, but Michael told him we found him passed out outside the Bronze with that girl sucking on his neck. As he said, 'one freaky hickey'."

Xander violently kicked a waste basket. Buffy was startled. Michael raised an eyebrow. "Ookkkaaayyy..."

Xander breathed in deeply. "I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're  
not good."

Buffy turned to Giles. "So, Giles! Got anything that can make this day any worse?"

He went over to the whiteboard and put down his pen.

Giles smiled grimly. "How about the end of the world?"

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Knew I could count on you."

"This is what we know. Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, not just to feed."

Buffy nodded. "He came 'cause this town's a mystical who's it?"

"Yes. The Spanish who first settled here called it 'Boca del Infierno'. Roughly translated, 'Hellmouth'. It's a sort of, um, portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it." Michael sighed and hit his head on the desk top.

Buffy pursed her lips. "Bring the demons back."

Xander concluded. "End of the world."

Michael sat up and breathed out. He turned to Willow. "We're doomed ma bonny lass. I hope ye can forgive me." Buffy snorted and Willow blushed a little.

Willow shouted out, "But he blew it! Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town, and him, too."

Giles nodded. "You see, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck, rather like a, uh, cork in a bottle."

Xander made gestures with his hands. "And this Harvest thing is to get him out."

Giles continued, "It comes once in a century, on this night. The Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol." He drew a three-pointed star on the whiteboard.

Buffy clapped her hands together. "So, I dust anyone sporting that symbol, and no Harvest?"

Giles: Simply put, yes.

Buffy: Any idea where this little get-together is being held?

Giles: There, there are a number of possibilities.

Xander and Willow said finality, "They're goin' to the Bronze."

"Are you sure?" asked Buffy.

Xander gave her a look. "Come on. All those tasty young morsels all over the place? Anyway, that's where I would be, trust me."

Giles grabbed his coat and started out of the library. The others began to follow. "Then we should get there. The sun will be down before long."

Buffy took Michael's arm. "We gotta make a stop. Won't take long."

Giles turned back to her. "What for?"

They both answered at the same time. "Mom."

1010101

The warm California sun glowed orange and red as it began to sink behind a ridge on the west side of town. Buffy went her closet and pulls out a heavy, black jacket. Michael was sitting on the bed, tying tape around his right fist. Joyce walked in.

"Buffy? Michael?"

They both looked up and smiled at her. "Mom!"

Joyce raised an eyebrow. "You're going out?"

Buffy pulled on her jacket as Michael said, "Big bash at the Bronze tonight."

Joyce was suspicious. "I didn't hear you come in last night."

"We were really quiet," they both said.

Joyce became frantic. "It's happening again, isn't it? I got a call from your new principal. Says you missed some classes today?"

"She was running an errand for Mr Giles, the new librarian. I was helping him after school as well," said Michael through clenched teeth as he ripped the tape's end away.

Joyce's eyes widened in surprise and she smiled. "Really?"

"Yeah he's from England. Nice guy once you get past the awkwardness," said Buffy.

"That's fantastic you two! Already working with ... Michael, why are you wrapping your hand in duct tape?"

"H-He's getting it signed by the lead guitarist of the band tonight. One of the guys from his home room. Oz, right?" Michael nodded. 'Good cover Buff.'

Joyce nodded, apparently satisfied. "Ok, don't stay out too late you two. You never know who or what might be lurking around out there." They laughed nervously as she left the room. Buffy packed some equipment into a bag and tossed one to Michael as they headed down the stairs and out the door.

1010101

Luke raised his arms to the shaking crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen! There is no cause for alarm. Actually, there is cause for alarm. It just won't do any good."

Cordelia was confused. "I thought there wasn't any band tonight."

She looked at the boy next to her, Colin. She inhaled in fright at the sight of his game face. Jesse was standing on the balcony, and rushed down, trying to fight his way through the crowd to save the girl of his dreams.

Luke continued, "This is a glorious night! It is also the last one any of you shall ever see. Bring me the first."

A vampire brought the doorman to Luke. "What do you guys want, man, huh? You want money? Man, what's wrong with your faces?" Luke grabbed him by the throat. He wrapped his other arm around the doorman's head.

Luke sneered at the crowd. "Watch me, people. Fear is like an elixir. It's almost like blood."

He sank his fangs into the doorman and fed on him. The doorman screamed, and as did the crowd. He dropped the doorman's body. "Next!"

Outside, they arrived running. Buffy tried the door. "It's locked!"

Giles caught his breath. "We're too late!"

Xander wrung his wrists. "Can you break it down?" he asked hopefully.

"No, not that thing. You guys try the back entrance, and I'll find my own way."

Giles nodded. "Right. Come on."

Buffy thought a second and called out. "Uh, wait! Guys! Here! You get the exit cleared and the people out. That's all! Don't go Wild Bunch on me."

Giles deflated. "Uh, see you inside, then."

Willow ran to the side door and tried the lock. "No joy!"

Xander banged on the door. "We've gotta get in there before it turns into an undead cocktail mixer!" Michael nodded and aimed a kick at the lock.

1010101

Luke finished with the girl and dropped her body. Darla struggled over Cordelia with Colin.

The one eyed vampire whined at the elder. "This one's mine!"

Darla rolled her eyes. "They're all for the Master." 'Even if it's not fair."

She pulled on Cordelia, who was screaming at the top of lungs. Colin let go of her. "I don't get one?" Darla turned and shrugged. She threw Cordelia back towards him and grabbed another girl from the crowd.

Buffy broke an upper window and crawled in. She heard a familiar voice from below her. "I feel the Master's strength growing!"

Buffy saw Luke on the stage. He looked to be in the throes on ecstasy or something. "I feel him rising. Every soul brings him closer! I need another!"

"The Vessel," she muttered.

The vampire on the upper level saw Buffy and growled. She looked over at him. "Tonight is his ascension. Tonight will be history at its end! Yours is a glorious sacrifice! Degradation most holy. What? No volunteers?"

Darla brought the girl up and passed her to Luke. "Here's a pretty one."

Cordelia screams when she sees Luke up close. He caressed her face. He was about to bite her when Buffy kicked the vampire down from above them. Luke watched him land with a thud. Buffy approached the railing.

Buffy looked at him innocently. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something?" The screams in the crowd stopped as they turned to look at the angel on the balcony.

Luke's face contorted in anger. "You!"

Buffy shrugged. "You didn't think I'd miss this. Did you?"

Luke snarled. "I hoped you'd come."

Buffy grinned cheerily. "Be right down!"

She stepped and then leapt down to land on a pool table. A vampire attacked from her right. Buffy kicked off of the table, grabbing a pool cue on the way. When she lands she thrusts it into her attacker and let go. He began to fall and burst into ashes.

"Okay, Vessel boy." Buffy removed her jacket. "You want blood?"

Luke released the girl. "I want yours! Only yours!"

Buffy shrugged. "Works for me."

She ran and cartwheeled up onto the stage, and immediately launched into a full spinning hook kick. Luke staggered into a pile of chairs. Buffy assumed a fighting position. Luke got up and growled. He comes at her and swings, but she ducked the punch and came up behind him.

He tried a backhand punch, but she blocked him, held onto his arm and gave him three roundhouse kicks to his stomach before he shook loose. She took her stake and lunged at him. He blocked the lunge, knocking the stake from her grip. He lifted her up and threw her into a pile of boxes.

Michael and Xander cracked the lock and they burst inside. They came out at the back of the stage and made their way onto the floor. The four could see Buffy was handling Luke well and so pushed a few people towards the open side door. Giles whispered to them, "Hurry up! Come on! Through this door! Come on! This way!"

Buffy spun around and landed a backhand punch on Luke's face, knocking him into another pile of equipment. She turned to see a vampire grab Xander. She stole a cymbal from a drum set  
and threw it at the vampire like a Frisbee. Xander saw it coming and ducked. The cymbal decapitated the vampire. His head hit the ground before dusting.

Xander called out to her, quite impressed, "Head's up!" Buffy couldn't resist a chuckle. She felt Luke grab her from behind.

Cordelia lay on the floor with Thomas above her. She struggled and he grabbed her arms. He was taunting her as she lay vulnerable. "Hold still! You're not making this easy!" He laughed mercilessly as he aimed towards her neck, fangs bared.

Cordelia saw a shadow come up behind him, a bottle in hand. She saw the lick of an orange flame, illuminating the pale face of Jesse McNally, the loser, the reject and freak. Then she saw him light the bottle of Smirnoff and break it over Thomas' head. With a scream of agony, the vampire leapt off him and ran towards the bar, only to be met with a sharpened piece of wood below the ribcage.

Michael stepped back as the vamp dusted and clapped at Jesse, who looked down at himself and Cordelia, a little shocked at what he had done. Xander saw the rescue and hollered his approval, before beating another vamp down with the pool cue. Luke called out to Buffy, who was circling him slowly. "I always wanted to kill a Slayer!"

Giles shepherded panicked teens through the side door. "One at a time! Quickly! Quickly!" He crosses to the other side of the room in front of some stairs. Darla was standing on the steps above him. "We're going to have to open the front as well!" With a scream of frustration, Darla leapt onto him from behind, knocking him to the floor.

"Master! Taste of this... and be free!" Luke roared and moved in to bite Buffy. She sensed his proximity and snaps her head back to land a headbutt on his face, knocking him off of her and back to the wall. She turns to him, winded but grinning.

"How'd it taste?"

Giles and Darla struggled on the floor. Willow approached them while taking out a jar of holy water. "Get off of him!" Darla looked up. Willow gingerly threw the contents at her. It burnt her face and steams. She got up and ran from the club, screaming.

Buffy grabs a microphone stand and brandished at Luke like a javelin. Luke laughed, "You forget, metal can't hurt me."

Buffy smiled a small sincere smile and said, "There's something you forgot about, too. Sunrise!"

She threw the stand at Luke. He ducked, and it broke the window behind him. A bright light pours in through it. Buffy picked her stake up and lunged at him from behind and jammed the stake home between his shoulder blades. "It's in about nine hours, moron!"

Luke fell from the stage and turned to ash. She stared at Luke's ashes. Two vampires had Xander by the shoulders. He shrugged and sighed with relief and she smiled down at him. She lifted her gaze to meet theirs. The vampires panicked and run. The vampires ran past Angel standing behind some crates stacked against a wall. He watched them run, and then looked back the other way. Angel raised his eyebrows in amazement. "She did it! I'll be damned!" He walked away.

Buffy hops down to the floor. Giles and Willow met her. Michael ran up from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Alright Buffy! We saved the goddamned world from ugly demons, oh yes go us!"

Willow's hopeful eyes met his. "It's over? We won?"

Buffy sighed and gave them a goofy grin. "Well, we averted the Apocalypse. I give us points for that."

Xander nodded. "One thing's for sure: nothing's ever gonna be the same."

Michael scoffed, "Dude, you knew that the moment you saw us walk into the school."

1010101

Cordelia Chase walked along, blabbing about the craziness of the previous night to Harmony. "Well, I heard it was rival gangs. You know, fighting for turf? But all I can tell you is they were an ugly way of looking. And Buffy, like, knew them! And McNally saved my life from one of them. He's not quite the same loser he was yesterday, I tell you that. Which is just too weird. I mean, I don't even remember that much, but I'm telling you, it was a freak show!"

"Oh, I wish I'd been there!"

Cordelia nodded. "You should have been there. It was so creepy..."

Michael walked between Buffy and Xander, whistling some song by Nerf Herder or whatever the band was called. "What exactly were you expecting?" asked Buffy.

Xander shrugged, "I don't know, something. I mean, the dead rose. We should at  
least have an assembly." They run into Giles, Willow and Jesse and the six of them continue to walk.

Giles summed it all up. "People have a tendency to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't."

Buffy nodded. "Believe me, I've seen it happen."

"Well, I'll never forget it, none of it," said Willow fervently.

"Good! Next time you'll be prepared," said Giles enthusiastically.

Xander froze. "Next time?"

Michael stared at the floor in annoyance, "Oh hell no!"

Giles straightened up and turned to them. "We've prevented the Master from freeing himself and opening the Mouth of Hell. That's not to say he's going to stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning."

Michael sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't even have to say it, do I?"

Willow grimaced with worry. "More vampires?"

"Not just vampires. The next threat we face may be something quite different."

Buffy threw up her arms in defeat. "I can hardly wait!"

"We're at the centre of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction."

"Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school!"

Jesse perked up, "Now that's my kind of bright side!"

Xander laughed and shook his head. "Oh, yeah, that's a plan. 'Cause lots of schools aren't on Hellmouths."

Willow giggled. "Maybe you could blow something up. They're really strict about that."

"I was thinking of a more subtle approach, y'know, like excessive not studying."

"Of course if that fails there is always the time tested method of burning down the gym Buffy." Buffy went speechless as Michael ruffled her hair and ran off to find Oz.

Giles turned to go back to his library. "The Earth is doomed."


	3. The Witch

The Witch

Michael could hear the squeak of Giles' cleaning cloth on the lenses from outside the library. Uh oh. "This is madness! What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer! Lives depend upon you! I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, and instead of which you enslave yourself to this, this..., "he gestured at her, "Cult?"

Michael looked quickly inside through the views on the windows. Buffy was wearing a cheerleader outfit. Hemery colours too. Oh sweet mother of ... "You don't like the colour?" Michael nearly choked he was laughing so hard and also trying desperately to stop the Watcher and his sister hearing him.

Giles seemed a little speechless. "I d... Do you, um... Do you ignore everything I say as a, as a rule?"

He heard Buffy snort, "No, I believe that's your trick."

Giles pushed the cart to the counter. Buffy skipped in front of him and posed. Michael was getting weird looks from the kids in the corridor who saw him nearly suffocating from laughing so much. "I told you, I'm trying out for the cheerleading squad!"

Giles suddenly became very serious and dour. "You have a sacred birthright, Buffy. You were chosen to destroy vampires, not to... wave pompoms at people." He turned to leave, but said quickly. "And as the Watcher I forbid it."

Buffy struck the typical Valley Girl pose, hands on hips, eyebrow raised and pouting for full effect. "And you'll be stopping me how?"

Giles gulped. "Well, I... by appealing to your common sense, if such a creature exists."

Buffy sighed. "I will still have time to fight the forces of evil, okay? I just wanna have a life, I wanna do something normal. Something safe." Michael heard this and cursed his luck. Why did Buffy have to jinx them like that? Why?

1010101

Buffy, Willow, Michael and Xander came through the door. Michael took one look and the male mind took over. Teenage girls were stretching and practicing, doing back handsprings, cartwheels and walking handstands. One girl does a roundoff followed by a back  
handspring. They were all ... flexible, as such.

Willow brushed her fringe away from her face. "Giles didn't approve, huh?"

Buffy nodded. "He totally lost his water. We haven't seen a vampire in over a week. I'd say he should get a girlfriend if he wasn't so old." Michael grinned.

Willow patted her on the shoulder. "Well, we're behind you."

Xander raised his arms to the room. "People scoff at things like school spirit, but look at these girls giving their all like this!"

He noticed a pretty girl called Amber doing the splits between two chairs. Xander stood with his mouth open as Michael's eyes widened. "Ooh, stretchy! Where was I?"

Willow rolled her eyes and gave them a small innocent smile. "You were pretending that seeing scantily clad girls in revealing postures was a spiritual experience."

Xander continued staring. "Who said I was pretending?" He turned to Buffy. "Oh hey! Here's a good luck thing for tryouts." He rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a bracelet made from beads and elegant wire coils. He pressed it into Buffy's palm.

Buffy looked at the trinket in her hand, "What's this?"

Willow looked at the bracelet in interest. "What's that?"

Buffy smiled fondly at Xander. "Oh, how sweet! 'Yours Always'?"

Xander blinked and stammered. "I-i-it came that way, really, they all said that!"

Michael chuckled. "Sure. And vamps just happen to drink blood and Amber is actually an alien creature waiting to pounce on you and make mad crazy love to you," Xander gawped at Michael, his face a deep tomato red while Willow and Buffy giggled, Willow blushing a little herself.

Cordelia stalked out of the doorway, glancing quickly at Michael and Xander before moving on with a look of contempt on her face. "Just look at that Amber. Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?"

Willow whispered to Michael, "I heard she turned them down." Michael grinned.

Joy, the cheerleading squad leader, stepped up with her clipboard and called for everyone's attention. "Okay, listen up! Let's begin with Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor."

Willow looked around vaguely and called out to a younger girl in the bleachers. "Amy! Hi!"

Amy stepped over towards the group, a shy blush on her face. Michael smiled at the cuteness of it. "Hi."

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader! You lost a lot of weight."

Amy nodded quickly, "Had to." Michael raised an eyebrow.

Willow changed the subject quickly, "Do you know Buffy and Mike?"

Amy waved shyly. "Hi."

They nodded with small smiles. "Hi."

Amy looked at Amber standing in the middle of the gym floor. "Oh, how I hate this, let me count the ways."

Amber began her routine. It was very athletic. She starts off with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides were then followed by a single spin. Everyone in the gym was intent on watching her, especially the few boys in the gym.

Amy whispered to Buffy, "She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "They have cheerleading coaches?"

Amy nodded enthusiastically, "Oh, yeah! Don't you have? I train with my mom, three hours in the  
morning, three at night."

Buffy smiled guiltily. "Hmm, that much quality time with my mom would probably lead to some quality matricide."

Amy smirked, "Oh, I know it's hokey. But she's really great."

Cordelia turned her back to Amber with a look of contempt on her face. "Hmph!"

Michael and Xander watched Amber in amazement. The girls were quite impressed, too. Amber's hands began to smoke. Buffy looked in confusion. "What the...?"

Willow screamed out, "That girl's on fire!"

Michael heard Cordelia scoff as she walked back towards the vending machine, "Enough of the hyperbole!"

Amber's hands caught fire. She dropped her pompoms and screamed. Buffy reacted. Amber flailed her hands in the air, trying to put the fire out. Buffy jumped up onto the stands and pulled down a banner. She ran back to Amber, knocked her down and snuffed out the flames with the banner. Everyone stared in shock.

Buffy held the crying Amber tight in her arms, trying desperately to comfort the distraught girl. "It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be... okay. God!"

1010101

The library was quiet. Buffy was pacing back and forth across the library. Willow, Michael and Xander were sitting at the study table, watching with some amusement.

Buffy suddenly stopped and turned. "I've been slaying vampires for more than a year now, and I have seen some pretty cringe-worthy things, but... nobody's hands ever got toasted before." She frowned and Michael pursed his lips.

Giles came out of the cage, an uncharacteristic glint in his eye. "I imagine not."

Buffy caught the drift and nodded slowly. "So, this isn't a vampire problem?" 

"No." As if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Buffy turned to Giles. "But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?"

"Bursting into flames isn't generally what people do when someone thinks they're hot. Not in my experience anyway," added Michael.

Giles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is, is rare, and, and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes."

Willow smiled at Buffy. "That's all that would have been left if it hadn't been for Buffy."

Xander sighed sarcastically, "So, we have no idea what caused this. That's a comfort."

Giles gained a little glint in his eye and put all his enthusiasm into his movements. "But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There's a veritable cornucopia of, of fiends and devils and, and ghouls to engage." Everyone looked at him with their eyebrows raised. He coughed and recovered himself. "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."

Michael sighed awkwardly, "Anyway..."

Buffy caught his hint. "Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?"

"Uh, rage. In most cases the person who combusted was, was terribly angry or, or upset."

Xander considered this. "So maybe Amber's got this power to make herself be on fire. It's like the Human Torch, only it hurts."

"Marvel seriously needs to get some fresh ideas. 'Burn Myself to Death Girl' won't catch on very well," said Michael.

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed, "I need to get the skinny on Amber. Find out if she's had any colourful episodes before."

Willow sat up and grinned slyly. "That means hacking illegally into the school's computer system.  
At last, something **I** can do!" Michael smiled widely, that girl was not as innocent as she first seemed.

Xander stood up as well. "I'll ask around about her."

Michael put on a really bad Brooklyn accent, "I'll hit up my contacts on the East Side, and see what comes up."

Buffy frowned and said warily, "You guys don't have to get involved." Michael stopped and raised an eyebrow at her.

Xander looked hurt. "What d'ya mean? We're a team! Aren't we a team?"

Willow stood up beside Xander. "Yeah! You're the Slayer, and we're, like, the Slayerettes!"

Buffy hesitated, "I just don't like putting you guys in danger."

Xander struck a bravado pose. "Oh, huh, I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away." Michael snorted.

A little smile appeared on Buffy's lips. "Okay, just walk softly, at least until we know a little more. I  
mean, what if Amber isn't causing these problems herself?"

Giles caught on. "Well, then we have to determine who or what did, and, uh, deal with it accordingly."

Michael spoke excitedly to the British librarian, "Now, about that dynamite I requisitioned for destroying the video tapes for you..." he then turned and ran out the door with a terrified look on his face, leaving a snickering Xander and a confused, spluttering Giles.

1010101

Michael and Oz stumbled down the corridor, Oz's hair mashed out in a dozen different directions and Michael's goatee looking slightly singed. A few members of the same class were following behind in the same state.

"And that, my friend, is why I dropped Chemistry back in LA. Chemicals and me 'aren't mixy' as Buffy says. Lady Fate is laughing at me right now along with Dr Pain and the late Mr Sense."

"Certainly was entertaining," said Oz.

Michael smiled. "True that my short-spoken friend, true that. I have yet to find an explosion that didn't cheer me up. Even if it means I'm banned from the chem labs. Less of a hazard to the students I guess."

Oz nodded at Michael and headed off down towards his band mate Devon who was sitting reading the far side of the courtyard. Michael sighed and turned around to see the hulking form of Larry lurking in the doorway, glaring at him and popping his knuckles one by one. Michael gulped and tried to keep out of the jock's line of view.

A flash of red and the following brunette gave him an elated sense of safety and relief. He was almost safe when Willow was near. Larry may be a dumb inbred steroid pumping Neanderthal, but the sight of a girl in the area took the fight right out of him. He walked slowly behind them, eavesdropping for kicks, when he heard a rather interesting piece of info.

Willow seemed down compared to the normal perkiness. "So yeah, Jesse's gone to LA for a few weeks to be with his grandparents. The whole graveyard thing shook him up a little. On the good side, I told Buffy about Amber."

"Cool! Was she wearin' it? The bracelet, she was wearin' it, right? Pretty much like we're goin' out." _'Ability to see Xander as innocent-Gone. Pain Factor 6-Internal bleeding.'_

"Except without the hugging or kissing or her knowing about it." _'Urge to kill-fading. Willow Rosenberg is queen of logic and good pointage.'_

Xander looked a little down because of this. "So I'm just a figure of fun. I should ask her out, right?"

Willow put her hand on his shoulder. "You won't know till you ask."

Xander hugged her and broke out into a lop-sided grin. "That's why you're so cool! You're like a guy! You're my guy friend that knows about girl stuff!

Willow pouted. "Oh, great. I'm a guy."

Xander didn't notice it. "Oh, hey, they're posting the list!" He runs off to check the list of names for the cheerleading squad.

Michael tapped Willow on the shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Come and join the ranks of masculinity Wil- OW!" She jabbed him in the shoulder before sticking her tongue out at him and giggling a little. Michael scowled at her, rubbing his arm.

Joy stepped away from posting the list on the bulletin board. Xander came up behind Buffy and Amy. He grinned seriously at them, making Buffy raise an eyebrow. "Cover me, I'm goin' in." He pushed his way through the crowd and looked at the list. Cordelia came out of the crowd and marched straight up to Amy, a half smile on her face.

"You're lucky!"

Amy's eyes light up in hope. "I made it?"

Cordelia gave her a look of abject horror. "_I_ made it!"

Xander came back out of the crowd and got hit on the way, giving out a yelp. He rubbed his ribcage. "One of those girls hit me really hard! You should test for steroids. Okay, not only did you make the team, but you, Miss Summers, are the first alternate, and Amy's number three.

Amy looked at Buffy, the light gone in her eyes, and left. Xander remained oblivious as he went on, "And what a better way to celebrate than with a romantic drive through..."

Willow tapped him on the shoulder. "Xander, alternates are the ones who didn't make the team, they only fill in if something happens to the ones who did."

Buffy looked at the retreating Amy with concern. "Excuse me." She went to console the shy girl.

Xander looked downtrodden and guilty, "For I am Xander, King of Cretins. May all lesser  
cretins bow before me."

Michael put a hand on his shoulder, "Well if it makes you feel any better, we have temporarily lost the use of one of the chem labs, due to a small explosion, rumoured to have been caused by certain members of the Summers family..."

Buffy caught up with Amy. "At least it's over. And you know what I think we should do about it? Brownie pig-out, my house, after school." There was so much sincerity in her voice, it was impossible to notice.

Amy however, didn't. "It's just how many more hours a day can I practice? Y'know, how  
much more can I do? This would never happen to my mother. Never." She walked off with Buffy staring after her.

1010101

Joyce set a large paperback book down on the kitchen table in front of the two Summers kids. "Look what I found. It's my yearbook from junior year. Oh, look! There I am."

She puts the book down on the island and goes to get a cup of coffee. Buffy looked at the picture, Michael trying to view it upside down and failing miserably. "Mom, I've accepted that you've had sex. I am not ready to know that you had Farrah hair." Michael rolled his eyes.

Joyce frowned playfully. "This is Gidget hair. Don't they teach you anything in history?"

Buffy sighed awkwardly. "Well, it's really cool, but I gotta book."

"Well, I was thinking. I know the cheerleading thing didn't work out... Maybe you should think about joining the yearbook staff. I did, it was a lot of fun." Michael nodded, the year book had actually been ok the last year without Ollie Pike spraying shaving foam all over the main hall at the senior graduation.

Buffy brushed the book away. "Not really my tip, mom."

Joyce edged it back. "I was, uh, photo editor. I got to be on every page, made me look  
much more popular than I was."

Buffy scoffed. "And have you seen the kids that do yearbook? Nerds pick on them."

"I represent that, Miss Peroxide," said Michael, a little annoyed.

Joyce was clearly insulted. She glared at the disparaging remark, "Some of the best times I had in school were working on the yearbook!"

Buffy faced her mom. "Oh, this just in: I'm not you! I'm into my own thing."

Joyce clenched her teeth. "Your own thing, whatever it is, got you kicked out of school, and we had to move here to find a decent school that would take you!" Buffy recoiled, hurt. She took her bag and left.

Joyce realized too late what she had done. "Honey, uhhh... Great parenting form! Little shaky on the dismount."

Michael scoffed. "Yeah if that's what you call it. Mom, Buffy had no right to say that about you, but she's still hurting after Hemery, and you throw that back in her face! Mom, I love you more than is healthy for a guy my age, but that was low. She lost all her friends and is trying so hard to get just a little bit of the LA life back for herself. That was a little cruel."

He grabbed his bags and walked out the kitchen door, leaving Joyce alone in the kitchen with her thoughts.

1010101

Cordelia walks past Willow and Xander in a daze. Xander raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Cordelia, you haven't been mean to me all day. Is it something I've done?" He turned to Willow, "Okay, see how she has no clue that I'm even a mammal, much less a human being?"

Willow took the pen from her mouth and nodded. "I see that."

Xander sighed, "This is the invisible man syndrome. A blessing in Cordelia's case. A curse in Buffy's."

Willow closed her locker and frowned, "You're not invisible to Buffy." She chews on her pen some more as they start to walk down the hall.

Xander threw up his arms in despair. "It's worse! I'm just like a part of the scenery, like an old  
shoe. Or a rug that you walk on every day but don't even really see it."

Willow nodded, taking her pen out of her mouth. "Like a pen that's all chewed up, and you know you should throw it away, but you don't, not 'cause you like it so much, more 'cause you're just used to..."

Xander looked at her, surprised. "Will, yeah, that is the point, you don't have to drive it through my head like a railroad spike. I'm gonna take your advice and not beat around the bush."

Willow looked at him guiltily and a little nervous. "Or I could be wrong! Maybe you should beat around the bush more."

Xander shook his head and looking up, gulped, "Nah, I gotta be a man and ask her out. Y'know, I gotta stop giving her ID bracelets, uh, subtle innuendoes, taking Polaroids outside of her bedroom window late at night, that last part is a joke to relieve the tension because here the two of them come." He breathed deep. "Okay, into battle I go." He quickly turned to Willow with a pleading look in his eyes. "Would you ask her out for me?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her. Buffy saw Cordelia trying to work the combination on a locker. Xander pulled himself together. "No, man. Me battle. Buffy! Would  
you like to, uh..."

Buffy reached Willow and Xander, a very dour Michael behind her. "Is that even Cordelia's locker?" They saw Cordelia give up and continue down the hall. Michael grinned. _'Ah the bimbo burglar strikes once again. Muhahaha!'  
_  
Xander looked at her blankly and shook his head. "Huh? Oh, I don't know. What I'm saying is accompany me Friday night..." Michael's ears pricked up.

Buffy watched Cordelia go and cut him off, "Xander, I have to, um... (faces him) We can make this up later. You don't mind, do you?" She gave him her book and followed Cordelia. Xander whistled the sound of a bomb falling and exploding. Willow looked at him and continued chewing on her pen.

Michael smiled and whispered into Xander's ear, "I need to talk to you, my young friend, but a certain blonde girl. In private, capische?" Xander gave him a weird look, but nodded nonetheless. Michael then crept up behind Willow and whispered to her, "You might want to get a new chew toy Will; the ink may start to leak soon in that one." She smiled at him as he walked off towards the staircase.

1010101

Michael whistled cheerily to himself as he flung the library doors wide open and stopped at the first thing he heard come from the mouth of the British librarian. "Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them is, it's classic!" Michael walked slowly around the front of the stacks and began to recite some words he had prepared for this exact time.

"With my apologies to the Bard. Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble. Something wicked this way comes!" He let out a bout of insane high pitched laughing. "I'll get you my pretty!" He dove out of the stacks at Willow, who shrieked as she him move at her. He slid past her and rolled around on the floor laughing, Giles staring at him wide-eyed.

Buffy sighed and walked over to him, and promptly sat on his stomach. He breathed out heavily, and then again as the recovered Willow joined Buffy on his chest. Xander shook his head at their antics, sniggering before turning back to Giles. "First vampires, now witches. No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale."

Giles ignored the squealing Michael, "Why should someone want to harm Cordelia?"

Willow poked Michael in the nose and said lazily, "Maybe because they met her?" Buffy stared at her and Willow did a double take. "Did I say that?"

Giles shook his head. "And setting Amber ablaze?"

Xander considered this, "Yeah, those guys don't hang..."

Buffy counted out the factors on her fingers. "They're both cheerleaders."

Giles smirked a little nervously, "Someone doesn't like cheerleading."

Buffy's eyes widened in suspicion. "Or likes it too much."

Willow looked at Buffy in disbelief. "Amy?"

Buffy nodded. "Amy!"

Xander said simply, "So, you guys are leaning towards Amy?"

There was a squeaked reply from Michael, "Well ... done ... Captain ... Obvious."

Buffy settled deeper onto his stomach. "She's desperate to get on that team, and I've got this feeling she'd do just about anything to make her mom's dream come true."

Giles blinked incomprehensively, "Uh let me make sure I have this right. This witch is casting horrible and disfiguring spells so that she can become a cheerleader?"

Buffy said sadly, "I think you're underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you. If you're not a picture perfect carbon copy they tend to wig."

Willow nodded, "Cheerleading was kind of her mom's last hurrah."

Xander stood up. "Look, we still have to stop Amy. We should grab her and...

"No burning or water! She's misguided, we're not sure on evil," Michael managed to say with bated breath.

Giles nodded into himself, "I think we should be sure she's the witch before we arouse her suspicions. She's, she's capable of some fairly unpleasant things."

Buffy thought this was fair enough. "Okay, alright. So, you're in high school, you are desperate to make the team and please your mom, so you turn to witchcraft. What's the first thing you're gonna do?"

Willow got off Michael. "Check out the books on witchcraft!" Buffy got off him as well and he discovered he could breathe again. She and Buffy go over to the computer to access the on-line library card catalogue.

Xander looked at Willow in horror, "Uh, no! No, that would be the last thing you would do! You  
don't wanna leave a paper trail. Forget that!"

Willow shrugged. "It'll just take a minute." Xander got up and stood behind them.

"We don't have a minute! Cheerleaders are in danger. Buffy's in danger. You were the first alternate, you are on the team now that Cordelia's out. You could be next. We gotta get you to a safe house!"

Willow held her head in her hands and sighed despairingly, "Xander..."

Xander tapped his fingers o the desk nervously, "Yeah?"

Willow exhaled and read the monitor, "'Witches: Historic Roots to Modern Practice.' Checked out by Alexander Harris?"

Buffy read from the screen, "'The Pagan Rites', checked out by Alexander..."

Xander held up his hands. "Alright, alright, it's not what you think."

Willow raised an eyebrow, "You like to look at the semi-nude engravings?"

"Oh, well, uh, I-I guess it *is* what you think."

Michael had recovered his breath and stood up, "Brave man you are Xander, admitting that."

Giles shook his head impatiently, "Have you all quite finished? We have to find a conclusive test. There may be something in here..." He slapped the page down on the desk. "Yes, this should do it. You'll need some of her hair, a little quicksilver and some aqua fortis."

Willow rolled her eyes at him, "Well, that's just mercury and nitric acid. You can get that in the science lab."

Giles read from the page, "'Heat ingredients and apply to witch, and if a spell has been cast in the previous 48 hours, witch's skin turns blue.' Hmm, oh, and you'll need some Eye of Newt."

"There is no freaking way that can be an actual ingredient! TV has shown me the truth yet again!"

"Michael, do shut up for a moment," said a rather irate Giles as he stepped into the cage.

1010101

Michael came back into the library after classes and collapsed onto the librarian's desk with a breath of exhaustion. He sat down into Giles' deep chair and closed his eyes. He sat and enjoyed the rare quiet the library offered instead of the rush of the corridors outside. His peace was interrupted by the opening of the dual doors and a rather sheepish looking Xander came in, flanked by an annoyed looking Willow. She shoved him towards Michael and nodded at him with a smile on her face.

"Willow looks a little ticked Xand. What did you blow up this time?"

Xander snorted and cracked a lopsided grin. "She's crazy, convinced that I have mental problems, hypochondria, a slipped disk, a thing for Buffy and that you are mad at me..." He trailed off and gulped noticeably at Buffy's older brother. Michael gave him the weirdest look and then broke into a large smile.

"I'm not mad Xander," he seemed to relax a little, "but Will will be when she realizes how much you mean to her in a year or two." Xander was really confused. "Buffy is, oh how can I put this... a nice girl, yes?"

"Yeah..."

"And you wouldn't have any problem with me being a little protective of her because of that, yes?"

"Well..."

"Ok here's the plot. Xander, you're a nice guy and any girl that recognized your existence would see you as an awesome boyfriend material... but Buffy... do you know why she came here, to Sunnydale?" Xander sat down on the other side of the desk, and shook his head. Michael sighed. "When she burned down the gym, she told our parent when they talked to her about her being the Slayer and the vamps. They thought she was crazy and my loving father had her locked up in a mental hospital."

Michael spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes seeing red. He blinked his eyes closed and breathed deep as he reopened them. "She hasn't really recovered from that as yet and I don't think that anyone could hurt her more than my father did, but she couldn't handle anyone right now. Is this making sense?" Xander nodded, smiling a small sad smile. Michael nodded seriously and stuck out his hand. "For Buffy?"

Xander looked down at Michael's hand. He took it. "... For Buffy."

Michael broke into a crazy grin and released Xander's hand. "Of course you do realize ... that if and or when you do go out with my sister, I will give you the cement speech, right?"

Xander winced in a pained grin. "Is that the LA version of the shovel talk?" Michael considered it and then shrugged.

"My way's better. You hurt my family; I bury you up to your neck in cement and wait for it to dry. Then, I invite my friends and Buffy over to watch me beat your skull in with a rake." Xander nodded approvingly.

"You hurt my friends; I beat you to death with a shovel. The shovel has a two-fold meaning. I can bury you quickly afterwards." Michael beamed at him.

"Xander, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership."

1010101

Michael, Xander and Willow walked into the gym and were a little unnerved by the sight which greeted their eyes. Buffy was jumping gleefully and waving at them. _'Someone needs to lay off the pixie sticks...'_ "Willow! Xander! Mikey! My buds are here! I love my buds! Hi! Then she seemed to notice everyone staring. "Hi... Oh..." 

Michael and Willow raised their eyebrows and said, "Ookkkaaayyy..." She stepped back in line, and the routine continued.

Xander whispered to Willow. "Is it me, or is Buffy a bit looped?"

Willow casts a worried gaze. "It took you this long Xander? Honestly..." said Michael. The cheerleaders continue with a series of assisted cartwheels.

Willow pursed her lips. "We better get her outta there."

Xander nodded. "Yeah, before she..." Buffy overthrew Joy's aerial, sending her crashing into the gym wall, "...hurts someone. Ay..."

Michael stared at Buffy in amazement and whispered to Willow, "Batter up." Willow giggled despite herself. Joy got up as Buffy came running over.

Buffy said dazed, "Did I do that?"

Joy pushed Buffy, "You are *so* out of here!" No-one heard the growl escape from Michael's chest. Willow and Xander came running up and each grab one of Buffy's arms.

Willow said to Joy, "It's not her fault!"

Xander laughed nervously, "She's on medication!"

Buffy looked at Xander, confused. "What?"

Joy scoffed, "Well, obviously not enough. Who's our next alternate? Oh. Amy, you just made cheerleader."

Buffy shook her head groggily, "No, no, no. You don't want her, she's a wit..."

Xander quickly put his hand over Buffy's mouth. "A wise choice indeed!" He and Willow pull Buffy away, nodding and casting nervous smiles at Amy and Joy. Amy stared after them, Michael stepping down the stairs quickly to get to his drunken sister. Willow and Xander are supporting Buffy between them as they come down the hall. Buffy was whining at them, "She's a witchy!"

Willow rolled her eyes, "Buffy..."

Buffy was lucid for a second, "I just got kicked off the team, didn't I?"

Xander put his hand on her shoulder, "I don't think it was your fault."

Buffy blinked and stumbled, then she looked up at Xander with wide green eyes. "Hmm, I know you don't, that's 'cause you're my friend. You're my Xander-shaped friend!" she leaned her head on his shoulder and said dreamily, "Do you have any idea why I love you so, Xander?"

Willow was too anxious to notice, "We gotta to get her to a..."

Xander stopped Willow with a hand gesture, "Let her speak!"

Buffy said proudly, "I'll tell you! You're not like other boys at all."

Xander smiled widely, "Well..."

Buffy giggled, "You are totally, and completely one of the girls! I'm that comfy with him."

Willow smiled widely. She knew exactly what Buffy meant, she too was now part of that soft loving person that was her best friend, Xander Harris. She felt Michael's hand resting on her shoulder and grinned up at him.

Xander's face dropped. "Well that's just great."

Buffy sniffed happily up at him, "Any other guy who'd give me a bracelet, they'd... wanna date me, and be like a..."

She began to feel woozy. "Oh! I, I don't feel so good."

Willow looked worried again. "Buffy?" Buffy collapsed into their arms. Michael picked her up bridal style and looked at Willow pleadingly.

"Get the doors please?"

1010101

Buffy was soon lying back in a chair with a wet cloth on her forehead. Willow supported her head and kept the cloth in place with her hand. Michael paced back and forth across the library floor, too worried to stay still, while Giles and Xander were flicking desperately through tome after tome to find the counter spell to whatever curse Amy had laid on Buffy.

Willow finally spoke up, "W-We've gotta get her to a hospital!"

Giles looked up and shook his head sadly, "They can't help her. This is a bloodstone vengeance spell. Hits the body hard like a, a quart of alcohol, and then it e-eradicates the, uh, immune system."

Michael rounded on him, "How can you be so calm? The one person in the world that you are supposed to protect is hurt and you act as if she has nothing more than a few bruises! She might be dying Rupert Giles, and you don't seem to give a rat's ass about it!"

Giles and the others stared at the outburst, at which point Michael sat down and cupped his head in his hands. "The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um..."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "Kill?"

Willow raised her hand meekly, "How much time do we have?"

Giles stuttered a little, "Oh, uh, I'm sure, uh..."

"Truth. Please."

Giles sank into his chair, defeated, "Couple of hours... Three at most." Michael let out a snarl and booted a waste paper through the library into the stacks.

Xander said obviously, "Well, how do we reverse the spell?"

Giles got up and he had a nervous smile on his face, "Well I, I've been researching that, and, uh, we can reverse all the spells if, um..., "he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "...we can just lay our hands on, on Amy's spell book."

Willow wrung her wrists, "And if we can't get a hold of it?"

Giles shuddered slightly, "W-Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off."

Xander grinned. "Show of hands!" He raised his hand.

Michael sighed and got to his feet, "I'll get the axe."

Buffy shook her head, "It's not Amy's fault. She only became a witch to survive her mother."

Xander turned to Buffy. "Look, I don't care why, I just care that you go on breathing."

Buffy ignored him, "Giles, where would she be casting these spells?"

Giles came out of his stupor, "Oh, she needs a, a sacred space. A-a-a pentagram, um, large pot."

Buffy nodded, "Her home. Okay. Help me up."

Xander and Willow did so. Buffy smiled a small sly smile, "We'll just go to her house and we'll get her book."

Willow got up, "Okay, we'll go with you."

Buffy shook her head, "Uh, no! You guys stay here and keep an eye on Amy."

Giles shot back, "And keep her away from the science lab. We'll need it to cast our counter-spells."

He and Buffy go. Willow and Xander exchange worried looks. Xander exhaled. "Michael, have I ever told you that your sister is crazy?" Michael snorted.

"Coming from the idiot who just agreed to what we are about to do, you've got nerve."

1010101

Michael ran through the halls. He had just seen the cheerleading debacle in the gym after the brilliant start and guessed that Giles' spell was working its magic. _'Excuse the bad punning.'_ He saw Amy violently push open a door. Willow stopped her.

"Amy!"

Amy snarled, "Get out of my way!"

Willow held out her hands, "W-wait! I-I-I need to talk to you, I-I can help you."

Amy looked at her, puzzled, "Help me? With what?"

Willow blanched, "Uh, well, y'know, all your witchcraft! I, I know this really good cauldron." He saw Xander sneaking up behind Amy.

Willow giggled nervously, "Do you actually ride a broom?"

Amy twists around, growls and holds out her hand like she's grabbing Xander's neck. His hand goes to his throat. Amy makes a fist and twists it. Xander collapses to the floor, choking.

Willow cried out, "Xander!"

Amy spins back around and punches Willow hard in the face, knocking her to the floor. She starts running to the lab. Michael sprinted after. _'Oh no wicked witch of the west coast, I am not going to be your blasted flying monkey.'_

Amy slams through another door and continues walking to the lab with a determined look on her face. She yanks at a door handle. Michael crept up behind the corner beside her. Amy stopped yanking at the door and saw a fire axe in a glass case. She broke the glass with her fist and took out the axe.

He could hear the chanting of Giles inside, "Release!"

Amy began to chop down the door. Michael spied a fire extinguisher shining beside him and unhooked it. Amy made a hole, reaches through and gets the door open. She marches in, axe in hand, straight over to Buffy. Michael lobbed the metal canister at her through the door, hitting her in the head with a clang. She dropped to the floor with a screech.

Giles said the final word, "RELEEEEASE!" There was a flash of light from inside the lab. Buffy got up from the table. "Buffy?"

Buffy looked hard at Amy's body, which was rubbing its head. "Amy?"

Catherine lunged at Buffy from the side and tackled her to the floor, knocking her out. Giles advanced, holding his arm out and pointing "You... you..."

Catherine growled and looked at him. She used her powers to force him back and push a table against him, knocking him down and out. Amy just stood there watching, still holding the axe in both hands. Catherine got up and confronted her.

Catherine snarled at her daughter, "You! You little brat!"

"Hey witch bitch!" Michael walked into the lab, a scowl on his face. "Leave the kid alone and face the badass who whooped your ass."

Catherine holds out her hand, and the axe flies from Amy's hands to  
hers Catherine: How dare you raise your hand to your mother! I gave you  
birth. I gave up my life so you could drag that worthless carcass around  
and call it living?"

"Hey bitch! I was talking to you!" Catherine rounded on Michael, screaming.

"Why do you want to die so badly boy?"

Michael's scowl was turning into a sneer. "You gave her a life so you could live yours again? You sicken me you cowardly, selfish hag!" She shrieked and her arms at him to wipe him out. He coughed and pointed behind her.

"Guess what?" Catherine turned to face the owner of that voice, "I feel better!"

She head-butted the witch in the face and kicked her in the side, knocking her over with a scream of pain and anger.

Catherine stood back up and shrieked, "That body was mine! Mine!"

Buffy and Michael turned to her with disgusted looks, "Oh, grow up!"

Catherine started to chant. "I shall look upon my enemy!" Her eyes became pitch black. "I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul!"

Buffy looks around for a way to stop her. She sees the pole holding up the mirror above her.

Catherine yelled the last chant, "Corsheth, take her!"

Buffy did a standing hook kick, knocking the pole out from under the mirror and letting it flop down. Catherine's spell leapt from her hands and reflected in the mirror back at her. The crackling power of the spell enveloped her as she screamed. The energy twisted around her and disappeared with a roar, taking her with it.

Buffy surveyed the scene. Amy is badly shaken but Michael was rocking back and forward in the middle of the floor. Giles opened his eyes and sat up, "Well, that was, um, interesting." Michael slapped his forehead with a frustrated groan. Buffy gave him her hand and helped him up.

Buffy smiled at Amy and Michael, "You guys okay?"

Amy gave a small grin. "I'm fine."

Giles stuttered, "I assume the, uh, all the spells are reversed. It was my first casting, so... I may have got it wrong."

Buffy hugged him tightly, making him very uncomfortable, "You saved my life! You were a god!"

Amy smiled wider, "Well, I didn't think you'd pull it off."

Suddenly Xander came rushing in and grabbed Amy tightly. "I got her! I got her! Cut her head off!" Michael lifted the axe off the ground, with a sly grin on his face. He dropped it when he saw the terror on her face.

Buffy said exasperated, "Xander, what are you doing?"

Xander looked a little unhinged, "Saving you?"

Buffy said calmly, "Get your hands off of her."

Xander looked really confused now, "But she's evil."

Giles shook his head, "It wasn't exactly her."

Amy smiled up at him, "I was my mom."

Michael laughed, "Talk about an Oedipus complex." Giles snorted.

Then Willow came running in, too, wielding a bat. "Where is she?"

Xander held up his hands, "Uh, hey Willow! It's cool!"

Willow looked hopeful, "It is?"

"Yeah, I took care of it." They all just looked at him.

1010101  
Buffy slid her smashed alarm clock into the waste paper basket with a sad sigh. "Joyce came in and wrapped her arms around her neck from the back, "I don't get it."

Buffy turned to face her mother, "What?"

Joyce sighed, " I've been doing a lot of thinking about... where you're coming from, how to relate to you... and I've come to a very simple conclusion: I don't get it."

Buffy smiled a little, "I'm inscrutable, huh?"

"You're sixteen. I think there's a, a biological imperative whereby I can't understand you because I'm not sixteen."

"Do you ever wish you could be sixteen again?"

Joyce shuddered, "Oh, that's a frightful notion. Go through all that again? Not even if it helped me understand you."

She smiles at her daughter, and Buffy smiles back. "Your brother on the other hand could guilt talk a politician into apologising."

"I love you, mom." She jumped up and kissed her mom on the cheek, then ran from the room.

Joyce raised her hands in the hands in defeat, "I don't get it!"

1010101  
Amy and Buffy wandered the hallway together, "My dad is *so* impossible! He doesn't ever want me going anywhere! He wants to spend total quantity time together. And I'm, like, 'Dad, I can go out, it's perfectly safe!' But he's got all this guilt about leaving me with my mom. And he's being a total pain."

Buffy came to a quick conclusion, "You're loving it."

Amy admitted dreamily, "Every single minute. This Saturday night he wants to stay in and make brownies. Well, the brownies were my idea."

Cordelia came up behind them. "Hey, I'm really sorry you guys got bumped back to alternate. Hold it, wait... No I'm not!"

Amy smiled a vindictive little smile at her, "Well, I know that I'll miss the intellectual thrill of spelling out words with my arms."

Cordelia winced playfully, "Ooo, these grapes are sour!" Buffy and Amy stopped at the trophy case while Cordelia continued on.

Amy apologized to Buffy, "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you wanted to be on the squad."

Buffy waved her off, "Oh, hey, that's okay. Cheerleading's just a little too hairy for me these days."

Amy laughed, "That's for sure." They go around to the front of the case and look at Catherine's picture. Amy said a little ruefully, "Catherine the Great."

Buffy tried to comfort her, "And there's been no sign of her?"

Amy shook her head. "That last spell... She said I'd never make trouble again. Wherever she is I don't think we'll have to worry." They both look at Catherine's cheerleading trophy.

Buffy shuddered, "Twisted." They turned and went.

Amy smiled, "I'm just happy to have my body back. I'm thinking of getting fat."

Buffy giggled, "Y'know, I hear that look's in for spring." They never heard the muffled noises coming from Catherine's trophy.


	4. Teacher's Pet

Teacher's Pet

Physics was the only thing on Michael's timetable that made him nauseous. He barely managed to keep his eyes open during any of Mrs Clint's lectures on levers and laws or ohms usually, but today was different, special almost to Michael. Not that Oz particularly realized, he was already passed out; snoring with his head down. Oz, as Michael could see it was one of the lucky few, the kid who slept through class and was still getting straight A's.

Today was special, because Mrs Clint had gone to a funeral outside Sunnydale and a new substitute was taking over for the day, so Michael was going to introduce the class to the time-honoured LA tradition of 'let's make the sub-teach's life hell because it'll make them better in the long run'. Despite being almost in his senior year, Michael couldn't shake that immature feeling of joy and anticipation from his head. _'At my signal, unleash hell...' _The door was swung open and what stepped through the door destroyed Michael's sense.

The woman was quite tall and brunette with a dazzling white smile. The tight blue dress hugged her generous curves in every right way possible. The whole male percentage of the class immediately fell in lust, except for the peacefully snoring Oz. The sub was absolutely gorgeous and every hormone-driven teen in the room wanted her for his own... well almost. Michael shook his head and blinked. _'Nah, she's not my type. Can't deny the drool though.'_

"Hello class, I'm the substitute teacher Miss French..."

1010101

Xander danced lamely through the crowd. He didn't feel in the mood for movement tonight, let alone getting funky down at the Bronze. Nevertheless, he made his way onto the dance floor and looked around. He made his way to the stage and gave the singer an acknowledging nod and grin.  
The singer gave him a "get outta here" look.

Xander frowned and sighed downly and moved away from the stage. Xander went over to the bar where that ass Blaine and his friend were sitting. Michael was sitting at the end, nursing his third Virgin Cuba Libre. Xander smiled and sat down two seats away from Blaine who was again rambling on at his buddy about his 'legendary' sexual conquests. "Seven, including Cheryl. I'll tell you, though, her sister was lookin' to make it eight!"

"Ooh, Cheryl's sister? The one in college?"

Blaine nodded. "Home for the holidays and lookin' for love! She's not my type, though. Girls really gotta have something to go with me."

Xander slid over to them coolly. "Something like a lobotomy?"

The two boys looked at him. Michael overheard the barb and took his chance. These guys had been within his earshot and Michael was not best pleased. "Ooh I know a fully functioning pair of eyes, a working sense of smell and she has to be desperate enough to bang Mr De Soto on Faragut Place."

Xander winced. Old Man De Soto was hardly George Clooney and he had arthritis to boot. Blaine ignored Michael's comment and stared Xander down. "Hey Harris, how many times you score?"

Xander stammered, "Well, uh..."

Blaine snorted and looked him up and down. "It's just a question."

Michael burst out laughing and then stopped, dead serious. "Sophomores don't get laid Blaine, so you're talkin' out your ass. Sorry but it had to be said." He then drained his glass and jumped up pulling Xander with him towards the rapidly approaching Buffy and Willow.

Michael put on a huge smile and wrapped he and Xander's arms around the two of them and ushered them towards the other side of the club. "Mikey, what're you doing?" asked Buffy looking very confused and a little creeped out.

"All part of my masterful plan Buff, just play along for two seconds."

Xander turned his head to Buffy. "Work with me here. Blaine had the nerve to question  
my manliness. We're just gonna give him a visual."

Willow grinned widely and threw her arms around him tightly. "We'll show him!"

Michael raised his eyebrows and grinned, "Well we can't fault your enthusiasm Will..."

Willow began to blush a little. Buffy was staring into space distractedly. "I don't believe it."

Xander was oblivious to Angel entering the club. Buffy hadn't seen him since the Harvest. "I know, and after all my conquests." Michael chuckled and Willow rolled her eyes at him.

Buffy went over towards Angel. Xander immediately felt an unwelcome sting of jealousy. "Who's that?"

Willow nodded at Michael. "That must be Angel! I think?"

Xander remembered a mention of him before. "That weird guy that warned her about all the vampires?"

Willow took the look of him in. "That's him, I'll bet you."

Xander glared over at the darkly dressed older guy, "Well, he's buff! She never said anything about him being buff!"

Willow and Michael raised an eyebrow each, "You think he's buff?"

Xander shook his head indignantly, "He's a very attractive man! How come **that** never came up?"

"And you wonder why Blaine questions your manliness Xander?" said Michael as he shook his head.

The three of them watched Buffy and the newcomer talk with interest. The Angel handed Buffy his jacket. Xander's glare got more focused. "Oh, right! Give her your jacket. It's a balmy night, no one needs to be trading clothing out there!"

Willow looked at Xander with a mix of pity and exasperation whereas Michael narrowed his eyes at the new guy. In Michael's mind, he wanted to get his hands on the awesome leather jacket.

1010101

Buffy and Giles walked along in front of the school, Giles with his mouth full of apple.

Giles coughed, "That's all he said? Fork Guy?"

Buffy nodded sagely, "That's all Cryptic Guy said: Fork Guy."

"I think there are too many 'guys' in your life." He sniggered a little at his own joke, while Buffy rolled her eyes at him. They caught up to Willow, who was sitting on a bench enjoying the California morning.

Giles tossed the apple core into a bin, "I'll see what I can find out." He groaned as he looked up into the sky, "God, every day here is the same."

Buffy grinned. "Bright, sunny, beautiful, however can we escape this torment?" she said with a dramatic overtone.

Giles rubbed the tip of his nose. "It's time like this I wonder whether that delinquent brother of yours is actually a clone rather than an older sibling." Buffy glared at him while Willow sighed and half-chuckled to herself.

"Now now Mr Giles, don't you know that if you speak of the devil he will come to find you?" came the rather bemused reply from behind him as a pair of gloved hands grabbed him and pulled him backwards off his seat with a yelp. Willow and Buffy fell off the seat, clutching themselves in laughter.

"Have a nice trip G-man?" came the chuckling voice of Xander from in front of them. Giles scowled up at him and Michael from the thankfully dry grass.

"Don't call me that infernal name Xander, it's distracting," replied Giles in a sour tone. "And Michael, you are a year older than the rest of them; you're supposed to be a little more mature. Despite the fact that you're an American."

Michael turned away and sniffed hard. "Growing old is a necessity, growing up is free will. And just how do you expect to get us 'upstart colonials' under control anyway, limey? Spirit of '76! No surrender to the Brits!" Giles looked mildly put out by this until he saw that even Willow was smirking, whereas Buffy was laughing her head off at Michael's 'patriotic' rebuttal. "Anyway, I must be off to torment some poor unsuspecting teacher like the delinquent I am. See ya later guys."

Michael walked off towards the entrance, finding Oz sitting with his eyes closed and his feet up on a bench. "Hey Mike."

Michael grinned and put on his best 'Giles' accent, "Good morning old bean and what a fine day it is too. How goes the avoiding of the football team?"

Oz nodded uncommitally. "Pretty good. You?"

Michael sat down and sighed. "Haven't been chased by any 'roid-pushing cavemen lately, especially that jackass Larry, but I think they're planning' somethin' for the zoo trip next month. Lot of abuse headed towards Lance over that. Poor guy."

Oz nodded grimly, "Have to feel sorry for him. Hey have you seen that McNally kid around lately, what's his name... Jesse?"

Michael gave a small smile. "Jesse's in L.A. Some trouble with the parents and school after the Bronze incident, I heard. But I also heard that our very own teen queen Miss has her eyes on him. Saved her life or somethin'."

Oz' eyes widened and he grinned. "Real Romeo and Juliet tale there. Didn't they die at the end of it?"

Michael rolled his eyes, but he noticed the small smile that Oz gave him. "Shakespeare? Another forte you didn't spill about. Am I going to find out that you now lead a female only sex cult in your free time?"

"Gets a bit awkward during the after eight jello shots," said Oz with a completely straight face, snickering as Michael burst into howls of laughter.

1010101  
Buffy grimaced at the interesting looking 'food' being served at the cafeteria. "Hot dog surprise. Be still, my heart."

Michael looked a little green himself, "Be still, my stomach."

Willow gagged slightly, looking worried. "Call me old-fashioned, I don't want any more surprises in my hot dogs."

Xander was staring into a blank space, oblivious. "I wonder what she sees in me? It's probably the quiet good looks coupled with a certain smoky magnetism."

Willow raises her eyebrows at him. She turns to Buffy and they smile. Xander smiled airily, "Miss French. You two are probably a little young to understand what an older woman would see in a younger man."

Buffy giggled, "Oh, I understand."

Xander sighed contentedly, "Good!"

Buffy smiled innocently, "The younger man is too dumb to wonder why an older woman can't find someone her own age, and too desperate to care about the surgical improvements!"

Xander was taken aback, "What surgical improvements?"

Willow raised an eyebrow to Buffy, "Well, he is young."

Buffy grinned at her partner in crime, "And so terribly innocent!"

Xander tried desperately to find retort, "Hey, those that can, do. Those that can't *laugh* at those who... can do."

Michael rubbed his stubbled chin. "Although I have to admit, he does look a little bit like the Hoffman."

Buffy blinked at him, shocked. "David Hasselhoff?"

Michael gave her a look. "Dustin?"

Willow bit back a giggle while Buffy scowled at her brother. "Well excuse me Mr I Have A Baywatch Fantasy."

"...And this is an insult because... why?" Xander nodded solemnly.

Blaine barged in between them and started grabbing a few dozen bread rolls. He turned to Xander, "Gotta carb up for my one-on-one with Miss French today. When's yours? Oh, right, tomorrow. You came in second, I came in first. Guess that's what they call natural selection."

Michael grinned. "Can you spell 'evolutionary throwback' Blaine?" He shook his head as the younger boy looked blankly at him. The girls smiled. Buffy went over to get some utensils. As she walked back Cordelia came in through the exit and bumped into her.

Cordelia sneered down at Buffy. "Excuse you!" She went behind the counter, showing a piece of paper to the cafeteria workers. Cordelia said breathily, "Medically prescribed lunch. My doctor ships it daily... I'll only be here as long as I can hold my breath."

She opened a refrigerator and screamed. Buffy, Michael and Willow ran to see what was wrong. Cordelia backed away from the fridge. Inside was a headless corpse in a lab coat.

Cordelia was screeching hysterically, "His head! His head! Oh, my God, where's his head?"

Buffy stared in disbelief. Xander was close behind and had to look away when he saw. Willow looked  
squeamish. Michael suddenly turned around and heaved into a waste bin.

The name on the body's lab coat read "Dr. Gregory" in fine cursive script.

1010101

Giles poured a glass of water. He brought it over to Buffy, who was sitting on the steps with Willow. Both girls were deeply upset, as Giles could easily see. Buffy had been crying quite heavily and Michael had his arm draped around her, although he did have a waste bin on his lap and was looking pale.

Giles handed the glass to Buffy. "Here. Drink this."

Buffy idly took the glass. "No, thank you." She took a sip.

Xander was standing by a bookcase, the shock of Dr Gregory's gruesome death clearly affecting him badly. "I've never seen..." Giles looked back at Xander, who was trembling. I mean, I've never seen anything like... That was new."

Willow gave the question to the world, "Who would wanna hurt Dr. Gregory?"

Giles sighed sadly, "Uh, he didn't have any enemies on the staff that I'm aware of. He was a civilized man. I liked him."

Buffy spoke in a small voice, "So did I."

Willow looked up at Giles. "Well, we're gonna find out who did this. We'll find them and we'll stop them."

Buffy snarled in anger, "Count on it."

Michael stayed quiet, mulling over the death of a teacher, a scholar and gentleman and someone Buffy liked. This monster was dead. _'Don't screw with my sister's favourite teacher.'_

Giles coughed, "What do we know?"

"Oh, not a lot, um..." Buffy sniffed and wiped a tear from her nose, "He was killed here on campus. I'm guessing the last day we saw him."

Giles fixed his glasses. "How do you work that out?"

Buffy put it bluntly, "He didn't change his clothing."

Xander's eyes widened in realization. "This is a question that no one particularly wants to hear, but... where did they put his head?"

Willow shuddered. "Good point. I *didn't* wanna hear that."

Buffy's face lit up. "Angel. He warned me that something was coming."

She takes another sip of water as she walks over to the table. Giles nodded thoughtfully, "Yes. Yes he did, didn't he? I wish I knew what he meant. I've been trying to gather more information about the Master, our, uh, local vampire king. There was one oblique reference to a, a, a vampire who displeased the Master and cut his hand off in penance."

Buffy raised an eyebrow sceptically, "Cut off his hand and replaced it with a fork?"

"Maybe he appreciates a good deal at Wal-Mart?" asked the quickly recovering Michael.

Xander shrugged, "So, why would he come after a teacher?"

Giles swallowed. "I'm not certain he did. There was an incident two nights ago..." He walked over to the counter, picked up a newspaper and returned with it, "...uh, involving a homeless person in Weatherly Park. He was practically shredded, but, uh, nothing like Dr. Gregory."

Buffy grimaced at the gruesome crime scene photos, "Fork Guy doesn't do heads."

Giles nodded, "Not historically."

Buffy counted off on her finger, "And Dr. Gregory's blood wasn't drained."

Xander shivered. "So there's something else out there? Besides Silverwareman? Oh, this is fun, we're on Monster Island."

"And no King Kong or Godzilla in sight to save us if the thing comes after us," said Michael quietly.

Buffy sighed. "We're on a Hellmouth. It's a centre of mystical convergence. Guess it's the same thing."

Giles shook his head, "Well, unpleasant things do gravitate here, it's true, but, uh, we don't know there's anything besides this chap. He's still our likely suspect."

Michael finished thinking and stood up, shaking his head. "Giles, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you there. The homeless guy was ripped to pieces, but Dr Gregory was untouched apart from his head. It looks a bit too clean, surgical even. I think there is something else out there."

Giles nodded a little. "It is entirely possible Michael. This could be something unseen here before. A completely new species of predator."

"That is why I don't help much Giles, you're way too good at being enthusiastic about the morbid things here," said Michael, shivering a little.

Buffy shook with barely contained determination. "Where was that guy killed? Weatherly Park?"

Giles looked at his Slayer with eyes that begged to be respected. "Buffy. I know you're upset, but, uh, this is no time to go hunting, not until we know more. Please promise me you won't do anything rash?"

Buffy smiled sadly. "Cross my heart." She looked across at Michael with a sly smile on her face. He began to be severely worried.

1010101

Giles looked the yawning Buffy and Michael up and down with a scolding glare. "You went hunting last night."

Buffy rubbed her tired eyes. "Yes."

He walked into his office. They followed behind him. Giles frowned at them. "When you assured me you wouldn't."

"Nuh uh Bossman she took me with her. She said nothing reckless. Reckless would have been without backup," said the sleepy smiling Michael.

Giles opened his file cabinet. "So did you see someone with a fork?"

Buffy nodded, "More like a jumbo claw."

"Very apt description. Think Freddy Krueger but more hair and no hat," said Michael with a yawn. He went and laid down on the library desk.

Giles turns to face them. "Oh. Well, uh, at least you're not hurt."

Buffy smiled at his concern for her. "And I saw something else. Something much more interesting than your average run-of-the-mill killer vampire."

Giles looked mildly distracted by his cup of tea. "Oh?"

Buffy went on, "Do you know Miss French, the teacher that's subbing for Dr Gregory?"

Giles smiled. "Yes. Yes, she's lovely. In a, a common, extremely well proportioned way."

Michael shot up. "Seconded."

Buffy scoffed. "Well, we're chasing Claw Guy last night, and Miss Well Proportioned is heading home. The Claw Guy takes one look at her and runs screaming for cover."

Giles stared at her, confused. "He what? Ran away?"

Michael nodded. "He was terrified. Trail of yellow liquid behind him."

Giles started to polish his glasses. "He ran from Miss French?"

Buffy smiled. "Uh-huh! So I'm an undead monster that can shave with my hand... How many things am I afraid of?"

Giles sighed. "Not many. And not substitute teachers, as a rule."

Buffy shrugged and asked, "So what's her deal?"

Giles rubbed his chin. "I think perhaps it would be a good idea if we kept an eye on her."

Buffy nodded. "Then I better get to class."

Michael clapped his hands together. "Let the dark and dusty commence."

1010101

Buffy shook her head at the confused Willow. "No, I'm not saying she craned her neck. We are talking full-on Exorcist twist."

Willow cringed. "Ouch!"

Michael looked away from his sandwich with a raised eyebrow. "Since when did you see the Exorcist?" Then he shivered. "Damn you Tubular Bells..."

Buffy shivered as well. "Which reminds me, how come Blaine, who worked with her one-on-one yesterday, isn't here today?"

Willow nodded with a serious look. "Inquiring minds wanna know."

Buffy turned to Giles. "Any luck?" Willow sat down in front of the PC and began a search.

Giles looked up from the fifteenth dusty tome he'd been through, "Um, I've not found any creature as yet that strikes terror in a vampire's heart."

Buffy clicked her fingers. "Try looking under things that can turn their heads all the way around."

Giles stopped dead still. "Nothing human can do that."

Buffy shook her head. "No, nothing human. There are some insects that can. Whatever she  
is, I'm gonna be ready for her."

She turned and hopped up the stairs to the stacks. Giles took off his glasses. "What are you going to do?"

Buffy turned back to answer. "My homework."

She continues up into the stacks. Willow looks up at her and smiles, then continues her search. Buffy comes running back. "Where are the books on bugs?"

1010101

Buffy comes out of the stacks with a book. " Dig this: 'The praying mantis can rotate its head 180 degrees while waiting for its next meal to walk by.'" She slammed the book shut. "Ha!" Michael swore he could hear crickets... "Well, c'mon, guys. Ha!"

Willow rubbed her wrist nervously. "Well, Miss French is sort of big. For a bug?"

Giles nodded. "And she is, by and large, woman shaped."

Michael smiled. "Again seconded."

Buffy made her way down to them. "Okay. Factoid 1: Only the praying mantis can rotate its head like that. Factoid 2: A pretty whacked-out vampire is scared to death of her. Factoid 3: Her fashion sense screams predator."

Michael burst into laughter and laid his head on the desk again.

Willow smiled widely and said, "It's the shoulder pads."

Buffy smiled at her best friend. "Exactly."

Giles: If you're right, then she'd have to be a shape shifter or a perception distorter. On a helpful note, I had a chum at Oxford, Carlyle, advanced degrees in entomology mythology."

Buffy looked blankly at him. "Entoma-who?"

Giles smiled at her. "Bugs and fairy tales."

Buffy snapped her fingers together. "I knew that."

Giles rolled his eyes. "If I recall correctly, poor old Carlyle, just before he went mad, claimed there was some beast..."

The PC beeped. "Buffy, 911! Blaine's mom called the school. He never came home last night."

Giles looked at her fearfully, "The boy who worked with Miss French yesterday?"

Willow blanched."Yeah! If Miss French is responsible for... Xander's supposed to be helping her right now! He's got a crush on a giant insect!"

Michael shook his head. "I've heard of women like stick insects but this is ridiculous."

Buffy nodded, "Okay, don't panic, I'll warn him. But I need you to hack onto the coroner's office for me."

Willow looked puzzled. "Well, what are we looking for?"

Buffy shuddered. "Autopsy on Dr. Gregory. I've been trying to figures out these marks that I saw on his body... I'm thinking they were teeth. And, uh, these cuddlies should definitely be brushing after every meal." She turned to Giles. "And you were saying something about a beast?"

Giles got up to go to his office. "Oh, uh, yeah, I just need to make one transatlantic telephone call." He stopped and turned back. "Um, this computer invasion that Willow's performing on the coroner's office, one assumes it is entirely legal?"

Willow and Buffy answered simultaneously. "Of course!"

Michael replied quietly, "In Paraguay..."

Giles nodded understandingly, "Right. Wasn't here, didn't see it, couldn't have stopped you."

Buffy looked relieved. "Good idea." 

1010101

Michael caught up with Buffy just as Xander started to look annoyed.

Xander looked ticked. "It doesn't sound weird at all, I completely understand. I've met someone, and you're jealous."

Buffy looked at him incredulously, "What?"

Xander sighed. "Look, there's nothing I can do about it. Uh, there's just this certain chemical thing between Miss French and me."

Buffy nodded, "I know, I read all about it, it's called, um, a pheromone. It's a chemical attractant that insects give off."

Panting, Michael nodded, "She's telling the truth Xan. Your crush is a giant Mantis and she killed Dr Gregory."

Xander shouted at them. "She's not an insect! She's a woman, okay? And hard as that may be for you to conceive, an actual woman finds me attractive. I realize it's no mystery guy handing out leather jackets, and while we're on the subject, what kind of a girlie name is 'Angel' anyway?"

Now Buffy looked confused, "What does that have to do with..."

Xander shook his head sadly, "Nothing! It just kinda bugs me. Look, I really gotta..."

He walked off. Buffy turned and watched him go.

Buffy looked at her brother. "What did he mean...?"

Michael sighed and turned to her. He hugged her and she leaned into him. "You just insulted a hormone-driven teen's ability to pick up. That was the fallout of complete lust, Sister-Mine."

1010101

Giles started to get annoyed at the phone, "Frankly, madam, I haven't the faintest idea what time it is, nor do I care. Now, unlock his cell, unstrap him, and bring him to the telephone immediately. This is a matter of life and death!"

Willow suddenly leapt up with glee, "Got it! Coroner's report, complete with... Yuk! ...colour pictures."

Buffy nodded sadly, "There *are* teeth marks. Which match perfectly the one insect that nips off its prey's head."

Willow looked nervous. "Okay, I-I don't like this..."

Buffy looked blankly at her. "Huh? Oh, it's the way they feed, head first. It's also the way they mate. The female bites off the male's head while they're..."

Willow stood up, looking scared, "No, no, no! See? Xander's, I like his head! I-it's where you find his eyes, and his hair, and his adorable smile..." She looked simultaneously dreamy and terrified.

Buffy shook her gently, "Hey, hey, take it easy, Willow. Xander is not in any immediate danger. I saw him leave school. He's probably safe at home right now."

Michael looked at her and Willow grimly. He hoped they were right. No-one deserved a first time to be their last...

1010101

Giles nodded patiently on the phone. "I-I understand, Carlyle. Yes... I-I'll take every precaution. Uh, absolutely, i-i-it sounds exactly like the creature you described. Y-you were right all along about everything. Well, n-no, you weren't right about your mother coming back as a Pekinese, but... uh... Try to rest, old man. Yes... Ta! Bye now!"

He hung up and came out of his office. Willow and Buffy were at the PC.

"Dr. Ferris Carlyle spent years transcribing a lost pre-Germanic language. What he discovered he kept to himself until several teenage boys were murdered in the Cotswolds. Then he went hunting for it," he said sadly.

Michael wrote down the details. "So it's ancient?"

Giles nodded, "Uh, he calls her a She-Mantis. This type of creature, the Kleptes-Virgo, or, or virgin-thief, appears in, in many cultures. The Greek sirens, the Celtic sea maidens, who, who tore the living flesh from the bones of, um..."

Buffy tapped her foot impatiently, "Giles, while we're young!"

Giles shook himself, "Uh, well, basically the, uh, the She-Mantis assumes the form of a beautiful woman and then lures innocent virgins back to her nest."

Buffy stopped short, "Virgins? Well, Xander's not a, uh... I mean, he's probably..."

Willow quickly got up, worried, "...gonna die!" She went to the phone.

Buffy nodded grimly, "Okay, okay, so this thing is breeding and we need to find it and snuff it. Any tips on the snuffing part?"

Giles nodded. "Uh, Carlyle recommends cleaving all body parts with a sharp blade."

Buffy and Michael looked at each other and smiled, "Slice and Dice."

Giles nodded again, "Well, whatever you do, it had better be certain and swift. This beast is extremely dangerous."

Buffy looked at him confused, "Well, your buddy Carlyle faced it, and he's still around."

Giles looked at her, saddened. "Yes, in a straitjacket, howling his innards out day and night."

Buffy looked a bit scared and annoyed, "Okay, Admiral, way to inspire the troops!" She sat down beside Michael and cupped her head in her hands. He drew circles on her back to calm her, like he did when they were kids.

Giles realized his faux-pas. "Sorry..."

Willow walked back, looking distraught. "Xander's not home! He told his mom he was going to his teacher's house to work on a science project. He didn't tell her where."

Buffy nodded quickly, "See if you can get her address off the substitute rolls." She glared at Giles. "And you need to record bat sonar, and fast!"

Giles nodded then stopped. "Bat sonar, right. What?""

Michael nodded, impressed. "Bats eat mantises. The mantis hears sonar, its entire nervous system goes haywire."

Giles looked despairingly, "Where am I gonna find the..."

Buffy pushed him towards the back of the stacks, "In the vid library? There're no books, but it's dark and musty, you'll feel right at home, go! I guess I'll handle the armoury."

Michael stood up with a bright smile on his face. "*We'll* handle the armoury. Who knows more about the cutting blades of death than me? Let's roll, sis." Buffy looked at her brother appreciatively. She smiled mischievously at him.

1010101

Buffy came in the door. Michael followed carrying two sharpened machetes and two cans of bug repellent.

Willow nodded at the two. "Getting the address."

Buffy nodded smiling, "Great! Giles?"

Giles came in looking shaken, but holding a tape recorder. "Recording bat sonar is something  
soothingly akin to having one's teeth drilled."

Michael showed a bright white smile, "Wouldn't know anything about that Mr Giles."

Buffy took the tape recorder. "Let's roll!"

They all headed for the door. Michael handed Willow the bug spray and Giles a machete.

Willow read out the paper sheet. "According to Miss French's personnel records, she was born in 1907. She's, like, 90 years old!"

Giles nodded slyly. "And extremely well preserved!"

Michael laughed. "Seconded Bossman!"

1010101

Giles, Buffy, Michael and Willow drove up to Miss French's house in Giles' battered old Ford. They got out and ran up to the door.

Giles looked about impatiently, "What now, exactly? We can't just kick the door down."

Buffy actually nodded. "Yeah, that *would* be wrong."

She gets ready to kick, but the door opens. An very sweet old lady stood in the doorway.

She smiled at Buffy, "Hello, dear! I thought I heard... Are you selling something? Because I'd like to help you out, but... You see, I'm on a fixed income."

Buffy: I'm looking for Miss French.

Miss French smiled, "I'm Miss French."

Buffy looked at her alarmed. "Natalie French, the substitute biology teacher?"

Miss French laughed, "Goodness, that's me! I taught for over thirty years. I retired in 1972."

Michael nodded, smiling. "A very good year Natalie." She returned the smile.

Buffy turned to Giles. "I can't believe this! She used Miss French's records to get into the school. She could be anywhere!"

Miss French looked puzzled, "No, dear! I'm right here!"

Michael smiled at her again. "It's a misunderstanding Miss French, wrong address. Sorry to bother you ... but um, don't be inviting strangers inside Miss. Could you do that for me?"

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you. Such a polite young man. Goodnight." She closed the door.

Buffy looked at Michael. He smiled at her. "Such a sweet old lady."

Giles, Willow and Buffy turned back to the car. Michael sighed and followed them.

Willow looked so scared that Michael's heart pinched. "What do we do now?"

Giles looked dejected. "Abject prayer and supplication would spring to mind."

Buffy clicked her fingers as she remembered. "I saw her walking past this park with her grocery bags. She lives in this neighbourhood."

Willow headed for the next house. "I'm gonna start banging on doors."

Buffy stopped her. "Wait, no, we do *not* have time for that!"

Willow looked at her, worried, "We have to do something!"

Buffy nodded with finality, "We will."

Buffy lifted the lid off a manhole and climbed in. "I won't be long." She dropped down.

Giles looked alarmed. "W... Buffy?"

Michael crouched down at the manhole and shouted down, "Always knew you were a sewer rat at heart Buff!"

The reply came back loud and clear. "Shut up Mikey!" He fell back and laughed on the ground.

Willow called down as well. "Come on, Buffy!"

There was a sound of a metallic clang reverberating along the sewer tunnel and a yelp. Buffy emerged a few minutes later, dragging a vampire with a claw for a hand. His hands were bound with rope and he was struggling at against it. She began to push him down the street, the others following them at a safer distance.

He snarled at her. "You!"

Buffy smiled at him, "Me! Come on! Come on, where is she? Which house is it? I know you're  
afraid of her, I saw you! Come on!"

Claw Guy begins to react to Natalie's presence, struggling harder against her.

"Come on. What? What is it? This is her, isn't it, this is her house? This is it! Better than radar!"

She let go of him. He cut the ropes with his blades. Michael dashed forward, stake in hand and machete in the other.

Willow called out. "Buffy!"

He swung at Buffy, but she leaned back in time, only to trip and fall backward over the miniature picket fence running along the walk to the house. The vampire jumped to follow. She crawled backward on her butt until she hit the fence on the other side of the lawn. Michael leapt at him, stabbing him twice in the back, the stake going into his heart. He fell into dust. Giles breathed a sigh of relief.

They heard the muffled sounds of Xander coming from the basement. "HEEEELLLLP! HEEEELLLLP!" Buffy smashed the basement window and slid in.

Blaine called over to them as the others slid in after her. "Uh, hey, o-over here, hello! In the cage!"

Buffy stood in front of the thing that had been Natalie French. "Let him go!"

Buffy pulled two cans of insect spray from the bag and sprayed Natalie in the face. Giles climbed in as Willow ran behind Buffy to open the cage. The spray disoriented Natalie, sending her back into a corner. Buffy pointed Giles at Xander. Michael started kicking away at the cage door with his booted foot.

Blaine called out from the cage. "Help me! Help me!"

Buffy called to Giles. "Get them outta here!"

She pulled the tape recorder and machete from her bag. Giles undid the leather straps holding Xander. Natalie retreated to the back of her nest. Buffy started to close in on her.

Buffy looked at the mantis with anger his her eyes. "Remember Dr. Gregory? You scarfed his head? Yeah, well, he taught me, you do your homework, you learn stuff. Like what happens to  
your nervous system when you hear this!"

She played the tape. Michael stared at the machine in disbelief. It was Giles' voice coming from the player.

"Giles!"

Giles fell on the floor and pointed at Natalie. "I-it's the wrong side!"

Natalie knocked the tape recorder and machete from Buffy's hands. Giles watched the recorder fly over him, hit the ground and slide under a refrigerator. He scrambles after it. Buffy turned her attention back on Natalie. Natalie tried to trip her, but she jumped over her misshapen claw.

Xander came up next to her with a can of bug spray and sprayed it into Natalie's face. Buffy pushed him away from danger, and Natalie took this opportunity to knock her down. Buffy raised herself onto her hands and one leg, and with the other did two desperate crouching sidekicks to Natalie's serrated legs to keep her at bay.

Giles searched under the refrigerator. Buffy kicked again. She saw the machete on the floor and grabbed it. Giles felt the recorder and grabbed it, jumped around on the floor with the recorder in front of him and played the tape. Michael held his head at the sound of the sonar. Natalie flailed her claws around in agony, screeching.

Buffy smiled, satisfied. "Bat sonar. Makes your whole nervous system go to Hell. You can  
go there with it!"

She slashed at Natalie fiercely and repeatedly with the machete, hacking her limbs to pieces. She breathed deep as the dismembered corpse fell to the floor with a soggy thud. Giles got up. Willow ran over to Xander and hugged him tightly. Blaine was dragged out of his cage by Michael. They looked at the carnage.

Giles finally spoke up, "Well, I... I'd say it's deceased."

Willow looked at the heap of viscera and hacked limbs with a mix of awe and disgust. "And dissected." 

Michael smiled at his sister. "Dr Gregory would have been proud."

Xander turned to Buffy. "You okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah."

Xander looked at her, eyes pleading for forgiveness, "Just for the record, you were right, I'm an idiot, and God bless you!"

Buffy lowers her head. Michael snickered at Xander's antics.

Xander turned to the others, "And thank you guys, too."

Blaine nodded emphatically, "Yeah, really!"

Giles half-sneered at him, "Pleasure..."

Willow smiled, "I'm really glad you're okay. It's so unfair how she only went after virgins."

Xander laughs and looks back and forth between the girls.

Xander turned to Willow, blushing bright red. "What?"

Willow smiled at him innocently, "I mean, here you guys are, doing the right thing, the smart thing, when a lot of other boys your age..."

Blaine interrupted her, "Flag down on that play, babe. I am *not*..."

Giles interrupted him, "Well, you see, that's the She-Mantis' modus operandi. Uh, she only preys on the pure."

Xander threw up his arms in the air. "Well, isn't this a perfect ending to a wonderful day!"

Blaine took a step back in embarrassment, "My dad's a lawyer. Anyone repeats this to anybody, they're gonna find themselves facing a lawsuit."

Michael and Xander snarled at him, "Blaine! Shut up!"

Willow perked up. "I don't think it's bad, I think it's really..."

Xander held up the machete and looked at Willow.

Willow squeaked, "...sweet! It's certainly nothing I'll ever bring up again."

Michael looked at the two boys despairingly. "Since no-one bothered to ask and you two are acting like jerks about it, I never said I wasn't a virgin." Xander's eyes widened. Willow and Buffy smiled at him. "I really don't see the rush to lose it. I have a year or two before I get embarrassed about it."

Xander takes the machete over to Natalie's nest, looks it over and starts hacking away at it.

1010101

Buffy was daydreaming. The teacher rambled on at the class, "All midterm papers will be exactly six pages long. No more, no less. One third of your grade will be dependent... on those papers. No more, no less."

The bell rang. Buffy came back to Earth. Everyone got up to leave. On the way out Buffy saw Dr. Gregory's glasses still on the lab bench where she left them. She picked them up and remembered him, a kind older man who didn't judge based on rumour and believed in her. She saw Dr. Gregory's jacket still hanging on the hook on the closet door and put the glasses in a chest pocket.

There was silence in the classroom after she left. Then there was a small cracking sound as one of Natalie's eggs hidden in the closet began to hatch.


	5. Never Kill A Boy On The First Date

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Buffy stood alone in between the headstones, a newly risen fledgling charging at her; desperate for its first meal. She sighed tiredly and kicked him in the face with a high roundhouse kick, knocking him off balance. The vampire recovered and swung at her with a jumping kick, which Buffy ducked. He swung two weak punches, and Buffy neatly blocked them.

On his third punch she got bored and grabbed hold of his arm and hits him in the face with a high snap kick. Letting go of the vampire's arm, Buffy punches him squarely in the midsection and follows up with a swinging punch to his face, sending him to the ground. Buffy sensed her victory and smirked, "We haven't been properly introduced," she pulled out a stake, "I'm Buffy, and you're history!"

She plunged the stake into him as he got up. He fell and burst into ashes. The California girl grinned widely. _'Not too shabby if I do so think myself.'_

Giles popped up from behind a crypt with a focused look on his face. "Poor technique. Prioritizing, sub-par... Execution was adequate, but a bit too bloody for my taste." Buffy felt like falling flat on her face. Giles had been there the whole time? Why hadn't he moved his butt and helped her with the bigger group earlier? Lazy British jerk...

She just scowled and bit back sarcastically, "Giles don't mention it. It was my *pleasure* to make the world safe for humanity again." He at least looked a little embarrassed, as a small tinge of pink hit his cheeks.

"I'm not saying that your methods are without merit, it's, uh, y-you're spending too much time and energy. It should simply be: plunge, and move on. Plunge and... ," he noticed something on the ground, "Hello." He bent over and picked up a ring with his pen.

Buffy saw the ring and grinned. "Oh, that's great! I kill 'em, you fence their stuff!" Giles gave her a look. "What is it?" _'Actually that's not a half-bad idea ... wonder what Mikey would say about it? I'll ask him tonight.'_

Giles stood silent for a moment. "I don't know."

Buffy stopped and thought out loud, "But it bothers you."

Giles nodded in the affirmative, "Yes! Well, I... I thought this vampire was just on a new rise, but it may be something else. This could have been supplied by the ones who drained him."

Buffy saw the hint, "Something big?"

Giles nodded thoughtfully, "Yes. I'd best consult my books."

Deep underground however, a certain ugly Master was preaching in his lair. He slammed a book down on his lectern, opened it and read. "And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into Hell." He relished those words.

"As it is written, so shall it be. Five will die, and from their ashes the Anointed shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny." He stopped by one of his minions who had been assigned to look out for the new fledglings.

"As it is written, so shall it be. And one of the brethren shall go out hunting the night before and get his charge killed, because he couldn't wait to finish his job before he ate. Oh, wait." He grabbed the unfortunate brother by the throat. That's not written anywhere."

He lifted the vampire from his feet and looked at the struggling vampire; irritated. "The Anointed will be my greatest weapon against the Slayer! If you fail to bring him to me, if you allow that girl to stop you ...," he threw the vampire into an open coffin, "here endeth the lesson." He slammed the book shut and walked off. From the shadows watched the disgraced Darla. Her burns had healed but her anger had not yet been sated.

Since her defeat at the hands of the Slayer's friends and the death of the Master's hulking pet; Luke, she had fallen out of favour with her Master. The strange thing was, she wasn't angry at the Slayer anymore than she was at the Master.

Her sire had turned against her and attacked her more than once. She wanted revenge and sat there in the darkness, plotting. Maybe it would be prudent to go to LA and do a little bit of interference with this... Anointed.

1010101

It was the next day in the noisy cafeteria. Buffy and Willow were paying for their lunch and happily gossiping about Buffy's encounter with a cute guy in the library; of all places. Michael was half-listening and downing packets of sugar to prepare himself for gym class.

Willow was grinning hugely, "Owen Thurman was talking to you?"

Buffy sighed dreamily, "It's all true."

Michael's ears pricked up. "Somebody said Uma Thurman?" Willow gave him a withering look. He pouted sadly, "It's never Uma Thurman ..."

Willow turned back to Buffy, "He hardly talks to anyone. He's solitary, mysterious... He can brood for forty minutes straight, I've clocked him." Michael snickered.

Buffy nodded dreamily, "He was so nice, it was eerie." She looked weirdly at herself and shook her head.

Willow pushed on. "What did you guys have to talk about?"

Buffy headed for a table with a smug smile on her face. "Emily Dickinson."

Willow followed with a happy look, "He reads Emily Dickinson? He's sensitive, yet manly! Well, wait, you've never read Emily Dickinson." Buffy pulled out her book and set it down for Willow to see, a pervading smug look on her face. Willow gaped, "You vixen!"

Michael shivered, "Please don't call my sister sexy names Will. It makes me want to hurl. Heh, half-rhyme."

Xander held up his fork, "Has anybody given any thought to what this green stuff is?"

Buffy grimaced. "Hmm, I'm avoiding the subject."

Xander examined the mush closely. "I think it's kale, or possibly string cheese. So, Buffy, how'd the slaying go last night?"

Buffy gave him a stern look. "Xander!"

Xander nodded. "I mean, how'd the *laying* go?" Michael, Willow and Buffy glared at him. He gulped. "No, I don't mean that either."

Buffy smiled. "It went fine, thank you. There's some new hoidy-toidy vampire sect in town."

Willow looked anxious. "That's bad."

Michael nodded grimly. "Anne Rice and Bram Stoker have a lot to answer for."

Xander shrugged. "Well, hey, they're bringing in the much needed tourist dollars." He saw Owen sit down nearby and noted it. "Ooo, look at Mr. Excitement."

Buffy smiled happily, "Owen! He's all alone! Maybe somebody should sit with him."

Willow caught her hint, "Mm, just to be polite! Good luck!"

Xander looked to Willow with a confused look, "Okay, what just happened?"

Michael grinned with a mouth full of bread. He swallowed and said smugly, "Unconscious revenge for your little 'Mrs Robinson phase', me thinks." Xander groaned.

"You promised you wouldn't mention Miss Mantis again." Michael shrugged.

Willow sat in thought. "Me thinks? Is it not I think?" Michael scowled. Willow didn't notice and smiled happily. "Oh hey, hey, Jesse's coming back to Sunnydale tonight. He said on the phone that he felt better after the Bronze incident and was ready to come home."

Xander grinned. "That's great! All three of us together again. It'll be just like old times."

Meanwhile, Jesse McNally was waiting in a Los Angeles indoor bus station waiting for the 3pm to Sunnydale, very bored. Darla was sitting at the cafe across from him and had been quite shocked and amused that he was there.

She got up and walked across to him but he had his eyes closed. She sat beside him and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked around and smiled. "Can I help you with something, beautiful?"

She grinned. "Are you happy to see me again, handsome?" His face twisted in horror as he recognised her face.

"B-But its daytime! You can't be out in-" he looked around and saw that the sun was nowhere in sight, "... Aww crap." She laughed and it sent a shiver up his spine.

"Don't worry handsome, I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to help you. There's something you might want to know about this bus that you're getting on." Jesse gulped.

'_I've got a *really* bad feeling about this.'_

1010101

Buffy and Willow came in through the doors in the corridor, Michael desperately trying to keep up.

Buffy was badly trying to defend her blush when Owen asked her to the Bronze. "It's not that big a deal. It's just a bunch of people getting together."

Willow shook her head vehemently, "It's a very big deal!"

Michael was panting and nearly dragging himself along the floor. "Can we stop? And it's not." Buffy smiled at Michael's support.

Willow wouldn't budge. "It is." She spotted Giles outside the library, "Tell her!"

Giles looked grim, "I'm afraid it's very big."

Willow smiled at Buffy with a triumphant grin. "Thank you!" She turned back to Giles, confused, "Wait!" They followed Giles into the library.

Willow asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"

Giles gave her a confused look and retorted, "What are *you* talking about?"

Buffy and Willow said it well, "Boys!"

Giles rolled his eyes at the two teenagers, "Yes, well, I'm talking about trouble. A violent and disturbing prophecy is about to be fulfilled."

Buffy's eyes lit up in realization. "The Order of Aurelius."

Giles nodded. "You were spot-on about the connection. I've looked at the writings of Aurelius himself, and he, he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed."

Michael raised an eyebrow, "Who's this joker?"

Giles looked rather put out by the question, "Well, I-I don't know exactly, a-a-a-a warrior, but, but it says he will rise from the ashes of the Five on the evening of the thousandth day after the Advent of Septus."

Buffy shrugged, "Well, we'll be ready whenever it is."

Giles stated clearly, "Which is tonight."

Buffy nodded. "Tonight, okay..." Then the information clicked, "Not okay! It can't be tonight!"

Giles looked up, a little offended. "My calculations are precise."

Buffy wouldn't accept it. "Nuh! They're bad calculations! Bad!"

Willow elaborated, "Buffy has a really important date."

Buffy nodded in horror, "Owen!"

Giles looked ticked. "Alright, I-I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show."

Buffy sobered, "Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm."

Michael nodded sagely. "Quite impressively I might add."

Giles ignored the boy, much to his chagrin. "Buffy, this is no ordinary vampire. But we have to stop him before he reaches the Master."

Buffy was pulling at straws, "But... Cute guy! Teenager! Post-pubescent fantasies!"

Michael grinned, "Got a bit to go yet Buff." He cowered at Willow's scowl.

Giles stood and gave an epic battle speech. "Those will just have to be put on hold! The dark forces are aligning against us, and we have a chance to beat them back. Tonight we go into battle!"

Michael turned away and walked out of the library, but he called back to them. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, one more!"

Giles looked quite surprised, and more than a little amused.

1010101

While Buffy and Giles were sitting in a graveyard waiting for vampire invasion that would never come, Jesse was sitting on a bus, waiting for that same invasion. Darla had stayed true to her word and not used him as a blood bank, a fact of which he was greatly relieved. He was currently sitting behind a five year old and his mom, and a crazy preacher was muttering to himself in front.

The kid was talking to the preacher, "I went on an airplane." Jesse hated that this kid was innocent in all of this but could easily die tonight if things went wrong, but he felt a little reassured by the thought of the Super Soaker filled with holy water under his seat.

The preacher was quoting the Book of Revelations and shaking a little. "A pale horse emerged with death as its rider. You will be judged. You will be judged." The preacher suddenly got up and stood in the aisle. "That day's gonna bring fire. Fire comin' down! Judgement! Don't think you're ready, ready to look upon him. If there's sin in there, there's sin all around. It's a liquid. On that day there won't be anybody tellin' us what to do or why we're doin' it. You can't prepare. On that day..."

The driver turned around to the preacher with a look of annoyance. "Hey, you gotta sit down. Okay?"

The preacher asked the driver, "Are you willing to stand with the righteous?"

Then Jesse was flung forward as the driver hits the brakes and slammed into something with a thump. The bus began to swerve, ran through a sign and hit a pole, which brought it to a stop. Jesse moaned in pain from his new position on the floor. He picked himself up and looked about, dazed.

The driver looked back at the passengers. "Is everyone okay?" The passengers looked at each other. They all seemed shaken but okay. The driver got out to check the victim. Jesse sat still but his hand moved towards the Super Soaker. He saw shadows moving outside the window. He heard a choking sound from the driver and pulled out the water gun as a fist came through the window and grabbed the preacher by the throat, pulled him out and the owner bit him.

The vampires all climbed into the bus to get to the other passengers. What they met was a torrent of burning acid. The boy and his mom were holding onto Jesse for dear life as the vampires screamed in agony as jet after jet of holy water burned their faces. After a few minutes they gave up and ran off. The boy jumped around and cheered. "That was really cool mister! You beat the ugly people with a water gun!" Jesse felt a new feeling inside him, and he grinned.

It was confidence. "Just call me Jesse."

1010101

Michael closed his locker and went down the corridor, avoiding glares from members of the football team and looking for Oz. What he did find however ticked him off. The source of Buffy's ranting yesterday and pain last night was talking to her. He didn't like this guy.

Buffy watched Owen go. "Tonight! Isn't that so?"

Xander looked at Buffy blankly, "What?"

Buffy giggled dreamily, "Me and Owen!" With that she walked off.

Xander looked down at the ground, feeling depressed. "Yeah, so it is." He sighed and closed his locker. "It sure is so." He turned and bumped straight into Michael's chest. He looked up slightly at the taller boy. He was grinning a mischievous smirk.

"What's up Xander? You look like someone stole your last cookie."

Xander snorted angrily. "Your beloved sister needs to learn some tact, she just blew me off to go hang out Mr 'I'm so mysterious I make Rorschach look like freaking Dr Manhattan' over there."

"As I said Anne Rice has a lot to answer for. For the record I agree but Buffy has never been one for understanding what people are feeling like. Don't judge her for it, she doesn't mean anything by it," said Michael from experience.

Xander nodded and sighed resignedly. "I know that, it's just ... I feel as if she doesn't even consider me as a possible choice for ... anything really. You know that she once told me that to her I was 'one of the girls'? I don't want that, I want her to see me as a man. I want her to see me as somebody dammit!"

Michael looked at Xander. "I don't know what that feels like man. I never had to what with seeing her from the day she was born. She shared everything with me when we were kids, our toys, our parents; even our candy. I don't think that you can fully understand what it's like to get between my little sister and a chocolate chip cookie." He shuddered at the horror. "But I can understand where you're coming from. I'm not promising miracles, but I'll talk to her about it."

Xander's jaw dropped. "W-What? You're serious...? I-I don't know what to say. You would let me date your sister?" Michael's eyes suddenly went cold.

"Not even if you were the only hope for the human race, bub. Boyfriends go against my moral coding as a brother. That and I'd hate to have to beat your head into a bloody mess with a rake. Nothing personal of course. No I meant about her seeing you as more than just 'one of the girls.'"

Xander's face dropped. "Oh ... well thanks anyway. I need to head to class." He turned and walked off. Michael scratched his head and sighed. He turned and headed to Computer Science with a certain Miss Calendar. He grinned. She had to be his favourite teacher at Sunnydale High. She taught well, made her subject feel worthwhile, had a good sense of humour and she wasn't bad to look at either.

He walked into the classroom and sat down, before yawning and lying back in his chair. Oz was in a similar position beside him, looking disinterested and sufficiently laid-back as usual. Michael would swear on his deathbed that nothing ever fazed Oz or made him react too much about it. That and he never spoke in sentences of more than ten words if he could help it. It was a good contrast to Michael's inherent weirdness.

Miss Calendar gave them their assignments and Michael sat back for another period of near-unconsciousness. "So my short-spoken friend how's tricks? Anything worth talking about coming up?" Oz shrugged uncommitally.

"Zoo trip with the sophomores coming up. Thought I might skip it for band practice." He turned and started typing on the keyboard. "Not as if seeing rhinos doing the dirty will really impact me. Dingoes have a possible tour this summer in San Francisco. Need to practice more." Michael grinned at the red-head.

"I hear that. Congrats Oz, hope it goes well. Thought I might tag along to see the cages. I hear they're getting in a few new arrivals next week anyway." Michael went quiet, as if thinking something and nodded in confirmation. "Oz, is there any chance I could ask you something... personal?" Oz raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing pressing just ... you seem like a level-headed person, ya know?"

The red-head gave Michael an appreciative smile. "I'm flattered man. What can I do ya for?"

Michael popped a few of his knuckles and sat back. "My little sister's going out tonight with this guy and she really likes him, but I want to grind him into the dirt. Something feels off about the guy."

"Ah the classic dilemma: how to get rid of the boyfriend without being accused of homicide."

"Not just that. Seems like the 'I'm sensitive until I see your underwear' kinda jerk, but I'm biased. I *know* my sister can take care of herself, but I can't shake the feeling that he won't treat her like me and mom would treat her. I mean I doubt he's a player but ... you know." Oz nodded in agreement.

"Yeah I know." They were quiet for a few minutes. "Have you given Romeo the rake speech yet? That might help you a bit if he knows you'll make him cry." Michael's ensuing grin would have given a vampire nightmares.

1010101

Michael looked at his little sister in despair, Xander beside him. She was wearing her bathrobe, and Willow was helping her decide on an outfit. He told himself that at least she wasn't talking to herself when choosing an outfit. That was a little bit too ... creepy for him to comprehend.

Willow was looking at her with an expectant resolve face on. Michael had discussed it with Xander and had decided to have that face trademarked. "Pick!"

Buffy gestured to Xander. "Okay," Willow held up one minidress, "do I wanna appear shy, coy and naive or," Willow held up the other, "unrestrained, insatiable and aggressive?" Michael involuntarily shuddered.

"Please don't put images in my head. It's damaged enough as it is Buff. But I go with option numero uno. Go more Little House on the Prairie than Basic Instinct, it'll make him feel less pressured to do anything." Michael knew his reasoning: less pressuring, less happening.

Xander watched from the bed. "Uh, y'know, Owen is a little home spun, he probably doesn't like that overly assertive look." He went to her closet. "Oh, hey, here's something. A nice comfy overcoat and a ski cap!" He held them up to her. "The earflaps will bring out your eyes!"

Buffy and Willow exchange a look. Michael let out a burst of laughter and fell off the bed. The three looked at him with concern.

Buffy shook herself out of it, "Maybe I should mix and match." Willow smiled and nodded. "Okay, guy's opinion." She grabbed two lipsticks from her desk. "Which one do you think Owen will like better? The red or the peach?"

Xander appeared to consider it. "Oh, you mean for kissing you and then telling all his friends how easy you are so the whole school loses respect for you and then talks behind your back? The red's fine."

Michael rubbed his head. "Usually a guy won't really notice the lipstick anyway but the peach does go with your skin colour Buff."

Buffy smiled warmly. "Thanks. I'll go with the peach."

Willow handed Buffy a third minidress. "Here, put this on."

Buffy and Willow looked at the guys. Michael nodded and turned away. Xander shrugged. "You're not bothering me!"

Michael spun him around. "Turn around before I pulp you, wise guy." Xander grinned. Willow sighed and pushed him away.

Willow smiled coyly at Buffy, "So, where's he taking you?"

Buffy undid her bathrobe. "Oh, I don't know. Where do you suppose young kids go on dates these days?"

Willow saw the banter and grinned. "Well, I read somewhere once that sometimes they go to movies."

Buffy finished pulling on the minidress. "Movies! Interesting!"

Willow nodded seriously. "And I saw on TV once, a bunch of people our age went to a party."

Buffy pulled on a boot. "Wow! I never knew being a teenager was so full of possibilities!"

The door bell rang.

Buffy squealed with excitement. "That's Owen!" Michael leapt ahead and darted down to the front door. The three stared at the spot where he had once been. A light bulb went on in Buffy's head. "Oh no you don't Mikey!" She leapt down the stairs after him only to come face to face with Giles.

Buffy looked really disappointed as did Michael. "That's Giles."

Giles looked at the two of them. "We need to talk."

Buffy smiled sweetly. "Buffy's not home." She tried to close the door.

Giles pushed the door open and came in. "My calculations may not have been as far off as I thought." He held up a newspaper.

Buffy narrowed her eyes and read, "Man Missing After Greyhound Attack?"

Giles nodded, "And four more from the A&E at Sunnydale General. Out of the ashes of five shall rise the one. That's the prophecy. Five people have died!"

Buffy looked blankly at the Watcher. "They're missing."

"I know it doesn't quite follow, but, but it's worth investigating. Look! The man missing from the Greyhound was Andrew Borba, whom the police sought for questioning in a double murder. Now, he may be the Anointed One. The crime scene may be unoccupied for the night, w-we can..."

"Giles, why do you wanna hurt me?"

Giles stopped, "I beg your pardon?"

Owen showed up at the open door. "Hey!" He came in. Michael cursed under his breath. No staking the boyfriend on grounds of vampirism. "Uh, hi!"

Giles looked puzzled. "You have a date?"

Buffy saw her chance. "Yes, but I will return those overdue books by tomorrow."

Giles shook his head. "Wait, you're not getting off that easily."

Owen was obviously oblivious. "Man, you really care about your work!" Michael couldn't help but smile.

Willow thought quickly, "Uh, Owen?"

Xander nodded, "Yeah, a couple of things about tonight." Michael caught his eyes and grinned sadistically. The three lead Owen into the living room.

Owen held out his hand. "Uh hi, I'm Owen. It's nice to meet you uh ..."

"Michael Summers. Buffy's older brother. Nice to meet you Owen." Michael forced a smile as he shook Owen's hand. "I have something very important to say before you take my baby sister anywhere. She likes dancing so dance. She likes nice people so be nice. If she says that she wants to go home, you walk her home. You hurt her and I will beat you to death with a shovel. It'll be quicker to bury you afterwards. Understand, bub?" Xander and Willow looked at Owen in awe as he turned progressively paler throughout Michael's speech.

He nodded very quickly. "Good. We'll get along just fine then. Go for your date and look happy for once." Owen took off towards Buffy, who looked reproachfully at Michael, who let lose a happy grin.

1010101

Michael followed behind Willow and Xander as they followed Giles back to his house. Never having found out where the British librarian lived, they wanted to do a little bit of snooping to pass the time. It was fortunate they did as three members of Aurelius jumped him as he was going past Oak Creek Cemetery. Willow shook in shock, "We have to help him!"

Michael was already running, stake in hand. Unfortunately, one of the vampires heard the footsteps coming up behind them and kicked him to the concrete, winded. Xander and Willow struggled with the third, but eventually hit the dirt as well. The one with Michael was lowering its fangs towards his neck when suddenly it shrieked as its face started to smoke. Jesse burst out of the graveyard wielding his Super Soaker at the vampires, which hissed at him, but beat a hasty retreat.

Willow saw who it was and wrapped herself round him in a tight hug with a squeal. Michael pulled Giles off the ground and dragged Xander by the leg over to the hugging friends, Xander yelling to let go, but to no avail.

"Hey Wills ... can you loosen the grip ... running low on air here!" choked Jesse who was beginning to turn blue. Michael nodded and let Xander up. The dark-haired teenager brushed dirt off his clothes, muttering darkly to himself. Then he noticed Jesse and his face lit up. With a yell of happiness he tackled his best friend to the ground while Michael held back a snigger and Willow was smiling brightly.

"Xander ... your knee is ... hurting my spleen!" Xander chuckled as he pulled Jesse up off the ground. Jesse brushed himself off and shot the others a blinding grin. "How's tricks?"

It was outside the Bronze later after they dropped the dazed Giles off at his apartment, that Michael realized that something was wrong. Buffy was talking to some tall, dark and exceedingly creepy guy, whereas Owen was over at the bar. Michael frowned. Who was tall, dark and exceedingly creepy and why was he talking to his little sister as if he knew her well?

"Hey Buffy!" called Willow over to them. Michael sighed and walked over to his sister, waving with an innocent smile on his face. She didn't look happy.

"Mikey? Guys, what are you doing here?" No definitely not a happy Buffy.

"Well sis, you see..." A light popped on in Michael's head. "Xander and Willow here were heading to the Bronze after we walked Giles home, but some ... gang guys tried to jump us. Gang members ... on PCP. We just wanted to check up on you, but it seems you're fine." He was relieved that she recognised the code for vampire, but he hadn't actually lied to her, so he felt better about it.

"Are you guys alright, where's ... oh there they are. Thanks for checking up on me but I think I need to get back to Owen..." who had walked up behind her ... almost as if he was hiding. Michael began to think he may have overdone the shovel talk, but he grinned viciously.

"Oh and before I forget, Jesse's back in town." Her face lightened a bit at thought of another friend back in the neighbourhood. At that, the three others came up, looking winded.

Xander nearly collapsed. "Must ... never ... *pant* ...run ... again..." Willow and Jessie weren't doing much better. Michael looked confused while Buffy giggled.

Owen's eyes widened. "Look at this! You show up everywhere. Interesting." Michael rolled his eyes as the three friends scowled at Owen, Xander more so than the rest.

Xander caught his breath and pointed an accusing finger at Owen. "You ... you don't know the half of it." He pointed at tall, dark and exceedingly creepy. "What's he doing here?"

The older man shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess it's the same thing you're doin' here." Michael couldn't help but grin; it was a smart answer that told the others nothing.

Buffy looked irritated. "Uh, excuse me, not that I don't appreciate it, but what are *any* of you doing here? I thought you were heading home after my house."

Xander looked really, really nervous. "Look, we gotta get to, uh..." Michael saw the little *firm* tap that Willow gave him with her heel. "Uhhh... We thought it'd be fun if, uh, we made this a double date!" Michael's jaw dropped. Willow and Xander put their arms around each other.

Buffy's eyes widened. "I didn't know you guys were seeing each other."

Willow smiled widely. "Oh, yeah, well, we knew it would happen eventually, so we figured, hey! Why fight it?" Michael noticed the huge blush on her cheeks. Was ... was she enjoying the idea of her and Xan- oh snap! This was comedy gold and blackmail material for *months* to come!

Owen was oblivious. "And you guys are thinking double?"

Xander nodded emphatically. "'Cause of...the fun!" He laughed nervously.

Owen turned to the older guy. "And you're here because of work?"

Michael grinned sadistically. "Hey, maybe we should all go somewhere together."

Buffy gave him a withering glance. "Gee, that's so nice of you to ask, but Owen and I were, well, sort of... Owen and I." Michael understood the faux-pas and gave her an apologetic look.

Xander pressed the advantage. "You know what'd be cool? Anywhere but the Bronze."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, the only club in Sunnydale gets boring after a while."

Jesse shook his head. "Guys, I just came back from LA. Why don't we," he pointed to Xander, Willow and Michael, "go and have a pow-wow while Buffy and Owen get some drinks with each other. It's their night after all." Michael nodded with a relieved sigh. Buffy gave Jesse a confused but grateful smile.

An hour later, the four of them were sitting around a table and Michael was bursting his guts laughing about life in Sunnydale before the craziness. Jesse stood up in a dramatic pose. "And so in second grade, we three came together to fight against the evil that was Cordelia Chase!" Willow stood up.

"We vowed that she wouldn't be a meanie to any of us ever while the others were around. And that still stands." She sat down, as Xander took her place.

"We would beat her evil back to whence it came. In the name of the Great Twinkie!" The other two stood up and Michael collapsed to the floor, crying with laughter. The others looked concerned and a little confused. "You seem to be doing whole 'rolling on the floor' a whole lot these days Mikey. Any reason why? We're not that funny ... are we?"

Michael stopped and climbed back into his seat with a sigh. "To be honest, you are funny, but not that good. I need some stuff out of my system and laughing's better than going psycho and hurting someone." Willow looked concerned.

"Is something wrong Mikey?" Michael looked up to see her eyes. He sighed.

"My little sister is growing up ... and I can't help her." He trailed away and looked decidedly sad. He looked helpless. "I mean ... I love that she can save the world. Who wouldn't want the person they love most to be a hero but ... I don't know whether ... if I can..."

Xander spoke quickly, "If you're any help at all." Willow and Jesse looked at Xander in surprise. Michael nodded slowly. "You don't know if you're strong enough to save her. I know that feeling all too well."

Willow swallowed. "You wonder ... if anybody will ever see just how much she means to you. Just how much you want to be there for her, even if it means you're hurt too." Michael nodded slowly again.

Jesse sighed. "You can't tell if she notices that you're always there for her if she needs you, but you're too scared to ask. You want her to feel safe so that she won't hide from the world anymore. I know it."

"We've got some serious issues in this town." Michael grinned and raised his glass of coke. "To Buffy."

Willow raised her glass. "To friends."

"To old friends," came Jesse's reply.

Xander was quiet, and then he smiled and raised his glass. "To us."

The only sound was the clicking of the glass and the sound of drums.

1010101

When Michael ambled into Buffy's room after they got home, he had a thoughtful look on his face. Buffy still had a slight giddy grin which he didn't notice but she took one look at him and frowned. "What's up Mikey? You look ... deep?" Michael sighed and shook his head.

"Got some stuff on my mind right now Buff. You know, something's been bugging me since we got back from the Bronze. Who was tall, dark and creepy?" Buffy didn't meet his eyes.

"A friend. His name's Angel." Michael rolled his eyes.

"Is he a senior? No too old. Frat brother with a 70's Goth dress sense?" Buffy grinned.

"No, I don't know. He warned me about the Harvest though." Michael nodded.

"He has brownie points. Next, you've been wanting to ask me something all day. What is it?" Buffy's eyes widened.

"Ok Mr 'I'm a creepy psychic'... yeah Giles found a ring in the cemetery a few nights back. I had this idea that if we can *somehow* get our hands on the vampire's stuff before we dust 'em, could we sell it?" Michael's eyebrows went up. "It could go towards some supplies or research or something."

Michael grinned. "You my little genius are ... well a genius. Nobody's gonna use the money left in a vampire's wallet. Wait, do vampire's carry wallets? They mustn't get takeaway that often... probably snack on an early morning jogger instead... yeah it's a great idea Buffy!" She smiled appreciatively.

"Now I know *you* wanted to ask *me* something Mikey. I'm an open book."

"Why don't you treat Xander like you would Owen?" Buffy shifted awkwardly on her bed.

"X-Xander? He's ... well he's ... not my type I guess." Michael smiled. Buffy shifted again. "Serious Mikey. He's not my type." Michael pouted. "Damn it! Stupid brotherly love..." Buffy sighed. "He ... he reminds me a bit of Pike, you know ... Ollie Pike." Michael's eyes widened. "It feels awkward sometimes, he has the same attitude and haircut, it creeps me out, to be honest. My best male friend looks like my second boyfriend... that feels really weird to me." Michael whistled.

"Man I was right. This town really does have some issues. Apart from being a gateway to hell I mean. But Oliver Pike ... seriously? Xander is a different person ... wait ... he reminds you of ... you know?" Buffy shivered and nodded. Michael sighed and sat down, wrapping his arm around his little sister. "It's gonna be better Buff, he left remember. Our *father* left *us* for his secretary, not because of you. He's gone and he'll never send you back." Buffy snuggled into his shoulder.

"I know Mikey. I know. You know something? Owen was nice but ... he's a bit ... normal." Michael laughed. "Maybe ... I could treat Xander like a guy, a bit more anyway."

Michael shuddered. "I never asked for that Buffy." She laughed happily. "I've got a better idea." Buffy looked her older brother in the eyes, curious at the scheme forming in his head. He gave her a brilliant grin and she smiled.

1010101

The Master was quoting scripture to the vampires around him. "And in this time will come the Anointed. And the Slayer will not know him. She will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell." He knelt down next to the recently risen form of Andrew Borba, his mad eyes gleaming yellow. "Welcome, my friend."

Darla watched from the shadows, cursing under her breath. The Anointed had been claimed by the Master, and was already being treated like a favoured pet. A little spark of hatred for her sire began to smoulder in her dead heart. Maybe the old corpse wasn't worth it after all. But she would bide her time. And then the stars themselves would hide.


	6. The Pack

The Pack

Michael and Buffy were not happy with one another. The zoo was turning out to be a real drag. Michael was beginning to think that Oz had the right idea, but right now he couldn't be distracted from the tragedy of Buffy's corruption by the media.

"Buffy I appreciate that you were born in the eighties and now we live in town sitting on hell but this is just wrong. You, yes *you*just suggested to me that Chesney Hawkes, who while I admit is a decent artist, you said he was better than the Beastie Boys. Buffy, repeat that and I shall be forced to give you music therapy. Again."

Buffy pouted. "Mikey, can I help it if the guy is basically making me drool at the thought of him. That and his voice. Yeah, the voice is always good ... stop looking at me like that." She couldn't help but smile at Michael's reproving look. He was deadly serious about his music and she suspected he had erected a shrine to Kurt Cobain before they left L.A.

"Oh, look. It's Buffy and all her friends." Michael and Buffy's heads swung around to see a gang of four kids. They both sighed and turned to face them.

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "That's a witty." She wasn't that great at improvising speeches.

"Oh look it's the poster-things for 'before' on Clearasil ads. You would think they give out samples at the mall to the poor. Guess not. Man they're missing out on a niche market here, Kyle."

"Do you ever wonder why nobody cool wants to hang out with you?"

"Well actually cool in this town means Cordelia Chase and I really don't like Cordelia. So you must think that you mean yourselves, but then no-one likes you so why the heck are you talking?" Michael smiled; his sister was getting a lot better at this.

Rhonda called at them. "Were you this popular at your old school? Before you got kicked out?"

Michael shrugged. "Me, nah. I didn't go with the crowds. Buffy on the other hand was the Homecoming Queen and the captain of the cheerleading squad. And as for getting kicked out, I'm proud of my little sister. She fought the system and didn't get jailed. You on the other hand ... well I always hear that San Quentin has a few empty rooms. The showers await you boys!"

The gang stood there their jaws hanging down. Michael grinned and they walked off, leaving the knuckle-draggers to themselves. Michael couldn't resist calling back, "Or I heard Deliverance is making a sequel? You're making a great pitch right now. Good night Sunnydale, tip your waitress." They waited until they were around the corner and Buffy leapt up, giving Michael a hug.

"Thanks Mikey," she said into his shoulder.

"I wasn't kidding, I'd swear they were out of that movie if they had a banjo and a jar o' moonshine. But seriously Buffy it's no problem. I always got your back." She smiled appreciatively. "Careful! She might beat you up! Not if I get to you first you rat-faced little punks." He giggled maniacally and Buffy grabbed him by the ear, dragging him towards the elephants.

Buffy was reading the plaque and Michael relaxing against the fence in the sunshine when the Sunnydale Trio of Terror showed up. Xander had a huge grin on his face. "Hey! Buffy!

Willow pouted a little but was trying to hide a similar smile. "You missed it!"

Jesse was grinning brilliantly. "We just saw the zebras mating!" He nodded to Willow. "Thanks Wills."

Willow's smile broke loose. "It was like the Heimlich, with stripes!"

Michael had to smile at their enthusiasm. Only last year he would've killed to see something like that... ah who was he kidding he wanted to see it now!

Buffy was not so impressed. "And I missed it. Yet somehow I'll find the courage to live on." She began walking, the four following her.

Willow came up beside her. "Where were you?"

Buffy looked for an excuse, "Uh, I was looking at the fishes."

Michael came beside Jesse and Xander and said quietly, "More like we were feeding Kyle and his goons to the fishes." The two jokers gave Buffy and he appreciative grins.

Willow pressed on. "Was it cool?"

Buffy turned and deadpanned, "It was fishes."

Xander shook his head sadly. "I'm feelin' that you're not in the field trip spirit here."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, it would... It's nothing, I... We do the same zoo trip at my old school every year. Same old, same old."

"Except for that time Pike nearly got himself fed to the tigers. I still got photos for blackmail," said Michael dreamily. Buffy grinned at the look on his face.

Xander stared her down and stated the obvious. "Buffy, this isn't just about looking at a bunch of animals. This is about not being in class!"

"The prophet speaks the truth!" yelled out Jesse, then he ducked to avoid Willow's trademarked Defence Of Learning Glare, which actually shook Michael out of his trance.

Buffy's mind actually registered this and her eyes brightened. "You know, you're right! Suddenly the animals look shiny and new."

Xander smiled at his work. "Gotta have perspective."

Michael's eyes roved around the place and saw Principal Flutie talking to Kyle's gang and one of their victims, Lance from Buffy's Calculus class. He snorted as Flutie walked off and the whole group walked in the other towards the ... closed Hyena house. Oh crap.

Buffy caught Michael staring and frowned. "What's up Mikey? Something wrong?" Michael just nodded.

"I need to go get Flutie." With surprising speed he dashed off towards the cafe where he thought the Principal was headed. Xander watched in awe as he leapt across benches and ducked under a group of freshmen in the way.

"Whoa go Flash... what's up with him?" Buffy looked where Michael had been looking and groaned. Lance and Kyle's monkey men. This couldn't end well.

Willow caught on. "What are Kyle and his buds doing with Lance?"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Oh, playing with him as a cat plays with a mouse."

Buffy shook her head in disgust. "What is it with those guys?"

Willow sneered. "They're obnoxious. Professionally."

Jesse nodded. "Every school has 'em. So, you start a new school, you get your desks, some blackboards and some jerks who think they run the place."

Buffy's eyes hardened. "Yeah, well, I'd better extract Lance before..." Jesse suddenly ran off in the same direction as Michael. Willow glared after him.

Xander put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile. "I'll handle it. This job doesn't require actual slaying." He went into the closed house.

Buffy looked anxious. "You don't think we should follow?"

Willow shook her head. "Kyle and those guys are jerks, but they're all talk. Mostly."

Buffy reconsidered because of the look of doubt on Willow's face. "Why don't we..."

Willow caught on and nodded. "Yeah, why don't we?"

They ducked under the tape, but a voice called out to them. "Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak." The zookeeper did not look happy.

Buffy stuttered. "Oh, w-we were just gonna take..." Her keen eyes spotted Michael crouching behind some bins nearby. It seemed that his hunt for the principal hadn't worked out. He motioned at the entrance, making an 'X' with his hands. She nodded.

The zookeeper didn't notice. "You're not going in there. Anyone that does is in a world of trouble."

Willow also saw Michael and she shook her head. "No, no one's going in there." They stepped back out of the entrance.

Buffy asked, "Why is it off-limits?"

The zookeeper glared. "It's a quarantine. These hyenas just came in from Africa and we had to put them beside the Wild Dog pen for lack of space. They're hostile to each other so stay out. Even if they call your name."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

The zookeeper pushed back the glasses onto his head. The Masai tribesmen told me that hyenas are capable of understanding human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to a person. Once they separate him, the pack," he snapped his fingers, "devours them."

Willow shuddered and moved around a little. The zookeeper followed her and Buffy, and Michael took the opportunity to pounce from behind the bins and go inside. He went down the tunnel and came to a fork in the path. Cursing, he made a snap decision to go left.

He looked around and went up to the edge of the pen. A snarling mass of fur leapt out from behind the fence and knocked him to the floor. Michael groaned in pain until he saw and heard the shape of the angry Wild Dog growling in front of him. "O-Oh c-crap, heh, uh nice doggie? Yeah, nice angry doggie. D-don't eat me!"

The dog suddenly went silent and sniffed the air. It barked at the tunnel and looked back at Michael. The last thing he saw before he fainted was a green glow in the very depth of the dog's eyes. The girls and Jesse came looking for him, and found him passed out on the floor, with the wild dog asleep beside him.

Michael insisted that he had just felt dizzy and fell down, although Buffy didn't believe him, but they went back to the bus anyway with Xander in tow.

1010101

Willow and Buffy came back from the bar, making their way over to a table where Michael sat, nursing his head with an ice pack and eating a hot dog. He sat back in his chair and smiled when Buffy sat beside him. "I told ya Buffy, I'm fine. Just hit my head a bit when I fell. It won't be a problem."

Willow shook her head at his stubbornness and looked around. "I thought Xander would be here by now."

Buffy ran her hands across Michael's head and he shivered before relaxing. "Hmm, that'd make him on time. We couldn't have that!"

Willow looked concerned. "Did he seem upset at all on the bus back from the zoo?"

Buffy looked confused. "About what?"

Willow shrugged. "I dunno. He was quiet."

Buffy shook her head. "I didn't notice anything, but then again I'm not as hyperaware of him as, oh, say, for example, you." Michael closed his eyes and leant against his sister.

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Hyperaware?"

Buffy nodded. "Well, I'm not constantly monitoring his health, his moods, his blood pressure..."

Willow grinned. "130 over 80!" Michael barked out a laugh.

Buffy was highly amused. "You got it bad, girl!"

Willow sighed. "He makes my head go tingly. You know what I mean?"

Buffy smiled coyly. "I dimly recall." Michael snorted.

Willow asked her, "But it hasn't happened to you lately?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not of late."

Willow smirked. "Not even for a dangerous and mysterious older man whose leather jacket you're wearing right ... Mikey are you growling?" Buffy stared at her older brother who did in fact seem to be growling.

Michael shook his head as if taking a second look. "What? No I wasn't Will. Sorry 'bout that." He sat up and yawned widely.

Buffy looked away in mock annoyance. "It goes with the shoes!"

Willow grinned slyly. "Come on, Angel pushes your buttons. You know he does." Michael's eyes hardened.

"I suppose some girls might find him good looking... if they have eyes, alright, he's a honey, but... it's just he's never around, and when he is, all he wants to do is talk about vampires, and... I, I just can't have a relationship... Michael David Summers stop growling! Seriously bro, it's wigging me out." Michael stopped and actually low into the chair, pouting.

"Sorry ma'am." Buffy's eyes widened. Michael had never told what she had told him before, when he got protective.

Willow saw Xander from the room. "There he is!"

Buffy looked surprised. "Angel?"

Willow looked at her dumbly. "Xander!"

Michael sat up and sniffed the air, unnoticed by the girls. Something wasn't right about the air.

Xander greeted them with a wave. "Girls! Hey how's the head Mikey?" Michael grunted in reply.

Buffy grinned at him. "Boy!"

Xander shrugged. "Sorry I'm late, I... just forgot that we were gonna be here." His eyes fixed on Buffy's croissant. "Hungry!" He tore a piece off and ate it.

Willow smiled. "Xander, you still want me to help you with geometry tomorrow?" Xander took a swig of Buffy's coke. "We can work after class..."

Xander gave Willow a thumbs-up. "Yeah, uh what is this crap?"

Buffy looked put out. "Well, it *was* my buttery croissant."

Xander groaned. "Man, I need some food! Birds live on this!" Michael snorted.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other and then at Xander. He looked back and forth at them.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Buffy looked ticked. "What's up with you?" Michael swore he could *smell* her irritation.

Willow was worried. "Is something wrong? Did I do something?"

Xander looked to Willow. "What could you possibly do? That's crazy talk. I'm just... restless." He caught Michael's eyes and glared. "What's wrong with you?" Michael grunted back in reply. Xander narrowed his eyes.

Willow shook her head. "Well, we could go to the ice cream place..."

Xander pointed to the table. "I like it here."

He looked up and scanned the area a bit, and then leaned toward Buffy and sniffed her hair. No-one noticed Michael's eyes harden again and a very low growl in his throat.

Buffy was a bit annoyed now. "Okay, now what?"

Xander's eyes widened. "You took a bath."

Buffy looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, I-I often do, I'm actually known for it."

Xander shrugged. "That's okay."

Willow and Buffy exchanged another look. "And the weird behavior award goes to..."

Michael smelt Kyle's group before he saw them, and then he shook his head and sat up in his seat. Buffy groaned. "Oh, great. It's the winged monkeys."

Kyle and company came over to them. Xander stared back at them, while Michael suddenly had an urge to jump at them. Kyle stopped at their table, and he and Xander stared each other down, their eyes boring into the other's soul. They went around to another table that was occupied and taunted the kids until they left. Xander laughed at them, until he saw Buffy's disapproving look.

"Kid's fat." Michael's eyes flashed a dark green in the dim of the Bronze.

1010101

Giles was wearing protective gear while Buffy trained on him. She did a roundhouse kick followed by a high punch and a swinging middle punch to Giles' gloved hands. She continued, doing a full spin and finishing with a backhand punch. She did a full spinning jumping high wheel kick followed by a right middle punch, a high roundhouse kick and a front snap kick.

Then she jumped high and did a twin straddle kick. She landed back on her feet and moved in to attack again, when Giles suddenly jumped back. Giles raised his hand. "Right!" Buffy stopped short, "That's enough training for one day."

Buffy turned around to the eyes of Michael, who was nodding as if in deep thought. "Well, that last roundhouse was kinda sloppy. Are you sure you don't wanna do it again?"

Giles was out of breath. "No! No, no, that's fine. You just... run along to class." Buffy went after giving her brother a tight hug. He grinned widely.

"Hey British? Mind giving me a round?" Giles looked at Michael and shrugged. The lad didn't look very powerful and was rather skinny. He could use the warm-down.

"That would be fine Michael, but I must warn you-" he was caught off as Michael bounced towards him and spun a punch that knocked him to the ground and the pads were sent flying into the stacks. Michael mouthed his apologies and walked out. Giles fixed his glasses on his head. "Good lord what was that?"

Michael laughed as he walked out to the courtyard and bounced up behind Buffy, who smiled in greeting. He walked on past down the corridor, enjoying the sun and a few stray looks from a girl or two as he passed. His eyes hardened when he walked by the lockers and saw Oz being loomed over by Larry and Chester, two of the football team.

"Come on geek we just want what you owe us and we'll be on our way. You have to pay just like the other punks in the school who disrespect the sports team. Now hand over the cash or can't you do anything without Summers here to back you-" Chester was cut off by a brutal right to the jaw which loosened three teeth and drew blood.

All action in the corridor stopped as Michael Summers knocked around Chester Williams like he was a practice dummy. It took three swings and the large boy fell to the ground crying in agony, Michael snarling as he booted him in the crotch. He grabbed Larry by the collar and slammed him into the lockers. "Stay away from Oz, you got that! In fact stay away from all the kids you're pushing about Larry. Or I'll push back." He delivered a hard right to Larry's shocked jaw and knocked him to the ground, before walking off.

The incident would become legend, but strangely Michael would never be mentioned by name and all they ever saw was a blonde haired maniac who the downtrodden kids of Sunnydale High would call "Bleeding Yellow." Michael sat through his classes, everyone keeping an eye on him, but he didn't notice. He smelled something wrong in the air. A really thick fear and worry and he hated the tickle that ran up his spine with each breath.

He went out at lunch when the smell was closest and whimpered when he saw Xander being nasty to Willow. He and the others were laughing. Willow was looking completely crushed. She turned and left. Michael watched her quickly walk by. He snarled and walked over to where Xander and his 'Pack' were staring down Buffy. Xander just looked at her and started laughing again more loudly, but he stopped when he saw Michael.

The older boy grabbed him and held him up to the locker, his feet dangling towards the floor. Xander looked at Michael in confusion and shock, when Michael tossed him back into his 'Pack' and they fell to the floor. "I'd know that stench anywhere, half-breeds. You're a disgrace to your kind. Stay away from us or I'll hunt you myself. Out of here now half-breed!" The group scampered off. Buffy was staring at Michael in shock.

He'd never been that strong and now he threw Xander like he was nothing? Something was up with both him and Xander. "What was that Mikey? What did you do that for?" The smile that he gave her before he walked off was what scared her.

"He hurt Will. So I hurt him."

1010101

Jesse McNally was a few things that would make any mother proud to be his. He was loyal to a fault. He respected his friends. He accepted new people with open arms. And he never attacked his friend's trust in him. So when he heard what Xander had said to Willow, two thoughts crossed his mind. Firstly, what the hell's going on? Second of all, she'll need me by her side. Xander may be his brother in all but blood, but that couldn't override Willow. Nothing could.

He saw Buffy and Willow sitting on a bench, Michael and Xander nowhere in sight, but Willow was crying and Buffy had her arm around her shoulder. His soul shredded when he saw the look on Willow's face. She was taking Xander's remarks hard and to heart. "I've known him my whole life, Buffy." He nodded as he came up and sat beside her. "Well, we haven't always been close, but  
he's never..." She sobbed into Jesse's shoulder.

Buffy looked deep in thought. "I think something's wrong with him."

Willow sniffed. "Or maybe there's something wrong with me."

"No," came Jesse's resolute reply.

Buffy ignored him, "What are you talking about?"

Willow rolled her teary eyes. "C'mon. He's not picking on you. He's just sniffing you a lot. I don't know, maybe three isn't company anymore."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You think this has something to do with me?"

Willow looked confused. "Of course."

Buffy shook her head. "No. That still doesn't explain why he's hanging out with the dode patrol. Or the fact that Mikey was able to throw him like a bowling ball. Something's going on, something weird."

Willow had a little spar of hope in her eyes. "What're you gonna do?"

Buffy slammed one fist into the other. "Talk to the expert on weird."

Jesse shook his head. "Mike's not available Buffy. He's too busy beating on the football team."

Buffy rolled her eyes and then caught what he said. "What? Mikey? Beating on the jocks?"

Jesse nodded with a smug grin. "He took out Chester and Larry for running 'protection' on a guy from his home room. Chester's going to the nurse with missing teeth, Larry pissed himself. A lot of people are denying any knowledge of it though. Guess what the footballers have been doing didn't earn a place in people's hearts. Your brother's been working out though, according to the mill."

Buffy looked worried. "But Mikey would never ... okay I'm definitely going to Giles now."

1010101

The British librarian was scratching his head, not fully understanding what Buffy was getting at. "Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?"

"Uh-huh."

"Michael's being more violent?"

"Uh-huh."

"And, there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanour?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes. Xander doesn't wear leather and Michael doesn't wear cotton vests." Willow rolled her eyes despite herself. Trust Buffy to pick up on that.

"Xander's spare time is spent lounging about with imbeciles and Michael is being noticeably more ... protective?"

Buffy nodded emphatically, "It's bad, isn't it."

Giles deadpanned. "It's devastating. Xander's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy and Michael's an older brother. Course, you'll have to kill them."

Buffy scoffed, "Giles, I'm serious."

Giles was firm. "So am I. Except for the part about killing them. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. They will, however, get over it."

Buffy sighed, exasperated. "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me. There is something supernatural at work here." She picked up some books from the desk. "Get your books! Look stuff up!"

Giles took the books, trying desperately not to damage them. "Look under what?"

Buffy rubbed her forehead. "I don't know." She exhaled deeply. "That's your department."

Giles shook his head and sighed, "The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best."

Buffy snapped her fingers. "Xander scared the pig." Giles gave her a look. "Well, he did... and Michael scared Xander! That's proof ... right?"

Giles sighed and started cleaning his glasses. "Buffy, boys can be cruel. They tease, they, they, they prey on the weak. I-it's natural teen behavior pattern. They just established a pecking order as well."

Buffy did a double take. "What did you just say?"

Giles looked blankly. "Um, they tease?"

Buffy snapped her fingers. "They prey on the weak. I've heard that somewhere before..." it clicked in her mind, "Xander has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage. Oh, God that laugh... and Michael passed out near that sleeping escaped dog. That's what dogs do right? They protect their owners ... Mikey thinks I own him. Weirdo."

Giles looked slightly curious. "You're saying that, uh, Xander's becoming a hyena and Michael a Dalmatian?" Buffy gave him a withering glare. "Oh you mean a wild dog? Good Lord."

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just Xander, all of them. They have been acting coordinated ... and the zookeeper did say that hyenas and dogs were hostile to one another."

Giles rubbed the shine into his glasses, "Well, I-I-I've c-certainly never heard of, uh..."

Just at that moment, Cordelia Chase decided to come into the library, looking like she was going to vomit. "Ew... that was so gross!" She looked at Buffy and Giles staring at her. "What do you want? I'm highly traumatised here! Some freaks ate Herbert, I am so creeped out..." The librarian sighed and rubbed his head.

Buffy looked triumphantly to Giles, "Testosterone, huh?"

Giles headed towards his office. Cordelia looked curiously at him. "What're you doing?"

Giles looked at her with a dark glare. "Getting my books and looking stuff up."

1010101

Jesse and Willow were heading back from the cafeteria when they heard the sound of laughing. Kyle got off of a table and motioned for the others to follow. The two watched Flutie drag them off to his office. Flutie looked mad. "You're gonna have so much detention, your grandchildren'll be staying after school!"

Willow looked worriedly at her friend. "What if Flutie can't handle them? I mean ... Michael took care of Xander but he's a lot scarier than the principal. Those guys will eat him alive!"

Jesse gave her a look and grinned. Then he cowered at the glare she gave him. "Ok Willow back off with the eyes alright? We'll go make sure that they don't try anything. Seriously those things are deadly weapons stop staring at me."

Back in the library, Buffy was looking for anything that might break Xander out of his mean streak and maybe stop Mikey acting like a St Bernard. She raised her eyebrows at some of the things she was learning. "Wow! Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats. Guess that explains the 'half-breed' comments Mikey was making when he bowled Xander."

Giles nodded grimly. "Hyenas aren't well liked by society or civilisation."

Buffy shrugged with a grin. "They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom."

"Why couldn't Xander be possessed by something pleasant? A cat or, or a sparrow?"

Buffy smiled, "That's assuming 'possession' is the right word."

"If your theory is correct then I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that." He actually looked worried about it. Buffy smirked.

"So how does it work?"

Giles set the book down beside him. "Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."

Buffy nodded with finality. "And then they started acting like hyenas."

"Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes."

"Michael seemed to be a lot more ... friendly than Xander though. Any idea why?"

Giles rubbed his eyes. "Wild dogs are more wary of people and so are less likely to fall into contact with them. That and he probably recognised your scent subconsciously as being well ... 'Pack' for want of a better term. It's also why he defended Willow to the extent he did too."

Buffy set her book down. "So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?"

Giles' face looked grim. "If it goes unchecked..." He handed Buffy his book open to a certain page. She took one single look, her eyes widened, she slammed the book shut and quickly got up to go. "I gotta find them."

Buffy walked into the staff room and looked around. Her eyes caught the frightening sight of Herbert's mangled cage. Buffy gasped heavily. "They are strong."

She stepped back on something that crunched and crouched down to the floor. She nearly threw up at the sight of small bones lying around the floor. She picked up a rib and prepared to leave. She got back up and turned around, only to be startled by him. "Xander." She tried to evade him, but he was quick to match her movement. Buffy exhaled nervously. "This is ridiculous. We need to talk."

She fakes him out and jumps on him, knocking him down with her on top holding down his arms. Xander grinned lecherously, "Been waitin' for you to jump my bones." Buffy shuddered.

In Mr. Flutie's office, the proud principal was standing in front of his desk and lecturing Kyle's 'Pack'. He was fuming, "I have seen some sick things in my life! Believe me! But this is beyond the pale! What is it with you people?" The pack started to whine and stalk him. "Is it drugs? How could you? A poor defenceless pig?" He noticed their movement. "What are you doing?" Jesse and Willow watched, mesmerized through the glass of the door.

Xander growled and rolled Buffy over onto her back and had her arms pinned down. Buffy restrained herself and said firmly, "Get off of me."

Xander raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Is that what you really want?" Buffy's eyes widened and she struggled a bit. He was *really* strong. "We both know what you really want. You want danger, don't cha? You like your men dangerous." She felt a traitorous little shiver down her back.

Buffy tried to reason with him. "You're in trouble, Xander. You are infected with some hyena thing; it's like a demonic possession!"

Xander grinned widely. "Dangerous and mean, right? Like Angel. Your Mystery Guy. Well, guess who just got mean?"

Mr. Flutie backed around behind his desk to get away from the Pack. They slowly approached, deliberately drawing out the movement. "Now, stop that! You're only gonna make things worse for yourselves. I tell you how this is gonna work: I am gonna call your parents, and they are gonna take you all home."

He reached for his phone, but Tor grabbed it first and tried to stare him down. Mr. Flutie looked at him a moment and then gestured to be given the phone. Tor gave it to him. Mr. Flutie smiled, "Thank you."

He started to pull the phone toward himself to dial, but Rhonda tore it away from him and threw it off of the desk. She gave him a coy smile, "I'm sorry..."

Mr. Flutie went red and shouted furiously. "That is it!" He tried to get past them, but Kyle growled at him and he fell back into his chair, a look of worry on his face.

Buffy and Xander struggled on the floor. Xander put his face close to her ear. "Do you know how long... I've waited... until you'd stop pretending that we aren't attracted..."

Buffy threw him off of her and quickly got up to face him. He jumped up as well and began to approach her as she backed away, a look of real fear on her face. "Until Willow... stops kidding herself... that I could settle with anyone but you?"

Buffy backed further against the wall. She looked around for a quick exit. "Until that pathetic ... mutt of a brother of yours ... would leave me alone to be near you?"

Buffy held up her hands in front of him. "Look, Xander, I don't wanna hurt you..." She was doing her best to be calm, and ignore the tiny part of her that just wanted to give up and let her possessed friend have her... She shook herself out of that thought. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the vending machine.

Xander smiled coyly, "Now do you wanna hurt me?" Buffy struggled, but the possessed Xander was too powerful. "Come on, Slayer. I like it when you're scared." Buffy closed her eyes, trying to block out Xander's words and struggled against him. He was just too...

"Get off her!" Buffy opened her eyes and dropped to the floor as she saw Michael tackle Xander away from her into the side of a sofa. She watched in amazement as her brother literally threw Xander at the door, which he smacked into side-on. She got up and stood in front of Michael, noticing the green glow that seemed to come from his eyes. It was stunning, for want of a better word.

Mr. Flutie hadn't realised how much danger he was actually in. "You're about this close to expulsion, people! I'm willing to talk to the school counsellor, and we can discuss options..." He tried to go again, but Heidi stopped him. Tor climbed onto his desk and growled at him.

Mr. Flutie yelled angrily, "Get down from there this instant!" Rhonda got close to his face and scratched his cheek with her nails, drawing blood. He fell back into his chair with his hand covering his face. He took his hand away and saw the blood. It was only then that it clicked he was going to die. "Are you insane?"

Jesse and Willow saw it and snapped out of their trance. Willow flung the door open and Jesse put his foot into Tor's back, knocking him into the window sill, face first and knocking him unconscious. The Pack swung, unprepared for the ambush from behind. Willow swung her hand at Rhonda, connecting against her cheek with a sharp crack, sending the girl into a fit of whines. Kyle swung at Jesse, who ducked and bull-charged him into Heidi, knocking them into the wall.

"You're sniffing up the wrong tree half-breed! I told you to stay away!" Michael leapt past Buffy and slammed his foot into the side of Xander's head, making him see stars. Buffy grabbed her brother by the shoulders and pulled him back away from Xander, Michael giving her a confused look.

"Leave him Mikey! He's not worth ..." She missed Michael push her out of the way as Xander leapt at him, landing on top and pummelling at his face. Michael snarled and tossed Xander off him towards the other side of the room. Michael planted a fist into his stomach, knocking the air out of him and pushed him towards an open window, followed by Buffy's surprised scream as Xander flew through the glass, it shattering around him.

Michael went to the window and growled when he saw that Xander was running away from the school. He turned around and saw Buffy's face. He tilted his head and let out a whine. Buffy had a scared look on her face and wet eyes. Michael came across to her slowly and nuzzled against her hair. Buffy sighed and pulled her brother close to her. "Thanks Mikey. Sometimes I wonder what I did right to get you. You always show up just when I need you. Even when you're possessed by a dog spirit." She laughed when she imagined him wagging an imaginary tail.

Kyle and Rhonda dragged the dazed Heidi out of the office, growling at Willow who had picked up Flutie's pencils, wielding one in each hand, and Jesse who was wielding a chair like a baseball bat. "Go on, shoo!" They dragged Heidi away faster. Willow turned around to the shocked Flutie, who was looking quite frazzled. "Good afternoon Principal Flutie. Are you ok?"

The weary man just nodded silently and promptly passed out. Jesse had to restrain a laugh, while Willow looked concerned. They looked at the unconscious body of Tor behind Flutie's desk and looked at each other. "You grab the arms Jesse. I'm still trying to process the idea that I hit someone to stop our principal getting eaten, do you think he'll punish them for that or us for hitting them. I mean you'd think it was a simple decision but he has to treat everyone the same and he's the law and..." The rest of Willow's rant was covered up by Jesse's hand.

"We'll be fine Willow the guy's laid out for a while we'll just – eww! Gross!" Willow licked his hand, making him pull it away. He glared at the innocent smile she had on her face.

1010101

The library was quiet, where Giles was sitting and reading through a book written in Swahili. He sighed. Modern languages were not what he was trained in and this situation with Xander and Michael proved it. He looked up when he heard the door open and his eyes widened when he saw Jesse and Willow dragging an unconscious student into the library and he went over to them.

Jesse looked at the British librarian with a grim smile on his face. "Tor here's one of Kyle's goons. They tried to eat Flutie." He smiled at the sound of glass on cleaning cloth.

"Good lord. I-I mean i-is Principal Flutie alright?" Giles visibly relaxed at the nods from Jesse and Willow.

"I'm proud of myself. I saved an authority figure and I stood up to a bully." Jesse grinned at Willow's smile.

"We'll be fine Willow. They won't expel us." He laughed when she exhaled deeply. "Hurry up. We gotta get him locked up somehow before he comes to." Giles nodded and opened the door to the book cage. Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Good a place as any."

Giles turned at the sound of the doors opening again and sighed with relief when he saw Buffy and Michael come in. Albeit Michael was sniffing around and Buffy seemed to be willing him to go forward, but nobody looked hurt.

Willow dropped Tor and turned to face them. "What happened with Xander? Is he ... alright?"

Buffy's face was blank. "Michael hit him."

Willow was anxious. "With what?"

Buffy had a small proud grin. "A window, then concrete."

Michael gave a small laugh that Jesse could have sworn was a bark. Buffy looked pale. "He tried his hand at felony sexual assault."

Willow was shocked. "Oh, Buffy, the hyena in him didn't..."

Buffy shook her head and looked at Michael gratefully. "No. No, but it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti." She scratched Michael's head when he started growling again.

Willow sighed with relief and sat down at the library table dejectedly. "What are we gonna do? I mean... how do we get Xander back?"

Buffy shrugged. "Right now I'm a little more worried about what the rest of the pack is up to."

Willow grinned as Jesse sat down beside her with a smile on his face. "Well Tor's in the cage over there. The others are dragging Heidi away to lick their wounds. I'd say Willow and I got 'em pretty good." Willow raised her hand and Jesse gave her a firm five. Buffy giggled and shook her head. Then a thought struck her.

"Wait, you took them on. I had trouble with Xander on his own, I mean. How did you two take on four? No offense." Jesse gave her a mock glare and sniffed, his nose in the air; making Willow giggle.

"Well I think we caught them by surprise. They really did not expect for anyone to come after them though. I'm glad we did, or we'd probably be stuck with Snyder as Principal. If that happened I'd die at little inside. He's a nasty vile little troll. Like Quark." Buffy shook her head at Willow's grin.

"So Giles, how do we stop this? How do you trans-possess someone?"

Giles sighed sadly. "I-I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces. Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground. There is some talk of a-a-a predatory act, but the exact ritual is, is, um...The Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which... may apply... Yes, one, one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human." He slammed the thick tome shut.

Buffy looked ticked. "Oh, that's great. Any volunteers?" Giles pointed to Michael, who tilted his head and yawned deeply. "No you are not using my mangy mutt of a brother as a guinea pig. Besides we need to cast out hyena spirits. It might not work the same on dogs."

Giles looked down. "Oh. Good point."

Buffy snapped her fingers. "What we need to do is put the hyena back in the hyena."

Willow shook her head. "We don't enough about the ritual Buffy. We might end up hurting someone."

Buffy gave her Watcher a sly smile. "Betcha that zookeeper could tell us. Maybe he didn't quarantine those hyenas because they were annoyed at sharing rooms."

Giles nodded in agreement. "We should talk to him."

Buffy nodded. "Okay." She started to go but stopped. "Oh, wait, somebody's gotta watch Tor."

Willow got up. "I will."

Buffy looked doubtful. "Will, are you sure? If he wakes up..."

Jesse nodded. "Go with Buffy Willow. I'll take care of even more brainless here. Go be there when Xander comes to his senses. He might blame himself for what happened if he remembers anything." Giles had a strange look on his face when Jesse said it but he couldn't help but wonder if what the young man said had merit.

Willow sighed. "Fine. Hey maybe I can see the zebras again while we're there." Buffy raised an eyebrow as she tossed the keys to Jesse.

"You girl, have a serious thing for zebras." Willow glared at Michael's snickering. "C'mon."

Jesse watched them leave; then looked over at Tor in the cage. He slipped the keys into his pocket and sat down. "And now we play the waiting game." He sat back and closed his eyes for a minute. "Nah, the waiting game sucks. I need a soda."

1010101

Dr Weirick looked blankly at Giles. "The students have been possessed by the hyenas?"

Giles nodded, knowing how crazy this must sound to the zookeeper. " Yes."

He looked blankly at them. "Are you sure?"

Buffy nodded again. "We're really, really sure. My brother's one of them but we think that ... well we think that something else possessed him. A wild dog maybe."

Giles took in the look on the zookeeper's face. "Y-you don't seem enormously surprised by this."

Weirick shrugged. "The zoo imported those hyenas from Africa. There was something strange about them from day one. I did some homework... That particular breed is very rare. Totally vicious. Historically they were worshipped by these guys..."

Giles took the idea at face value. "Primals."

The zookeeper nodded. "Yeah! Creepy guys! Now, they had rituals for taking the hyena spirits, but I-I don't see how that coulda happened to your kids. And as for your brother well, that's a whole different kind of strange."

Giles looked a little lost. "Uh, we don't know exactly how the ritual works. We know that it involves a, um, um... predatory act and some kind of symbol."

The zookeeper frowned. "Predatory act? Of course. That makes sense. Where did you read that?"

Giles smiled at the intelligent conversation. "Do you have Sherman Jeffries' work on, on cults and on..."

Willow tapped her foot impatiently. "Boys?"

Giles looked put out. "Sorry."

The zookeeper persisted. "Look. I think we may have enough information so that together we could pull off a reverse trans-possession."

Buffy shook her head. "What do we do?"

"We've gotta get those possessed students over to the hyena cage right away. I'll meet you there. We can begin the rituals."

Buffy sighed. "W-well, we can guarantee one of them, but there are four more, and we have no idea where they are."

"No, I wouldn't worry about that. After hyenas feed and rest they will track the missing member of their pack until they find him. They should come right to you."

Buffy looked worried. "Willow! We forgot about Jesse!" The zookeeper actually recoiled at the sound of Michael's snarling.

1010101

Jesse was really getting annoyed at the idiot in the cage. "Jesse..."

He turned to the cage. "Xander, shut up! Wait..."

"Jesse..."

He turned slowly and looked up at the window where the voice was coming from. He shot back when Xander was at the window, eyes glowing yellow. "Oh holy crap!" Kyle and Heidi kicked in the windows. Jesse ran from the library.

He couldn't take on all of them and he heard the sound of bending metal. They were breaking Tor out of jail. He stopped at the intersection and ran down the other corridor towards the front door. Jesse ran into the entrance hall and went for the door, only to be intercepted by Kyle, who was pacing around.

Jesse stayed still, and then swung a foot, which Kyle caught and pushed Jesse down to the floor. He pounced at Jesse's exposed throat, but was knocked flying by Michael talking him into a trophy cabinet, which shattered on impact. Buffy came up behind Kyle and slammed him in the chest with a fire extinguisher, knocking him down and out.

Willow comes out of the room and went over to Giles, who was trying to overpower Rhonda. She shoved against her into the wall, stunning her momentarily. She kicked her, and she skidded across the polished floor of the hall. Buffy discarded the extinguisher, while Michael dragged the out-for-the-count Kyle with them. The other three pack members appeared at the end of the hall.

Michael snarled at them and Rhonda scrabbled away towards her pack, whining pitifully. "Get out of here half-breeds! Before I shred you to pieces!" Xander looked into Michael's face and started laughing, the Pack soon following. They started advancing towards him and Buffy.

Giles called out to them. "Run!"

Michael barked and sped towards him, dragging Buffy with him. Giles and Willow ran into a classroom, and Buffy followed, closing and locking the door behind her. The pack pounded on the door. Michael was growling and barking at the door, but they couldn't get in and soon the room went silent.

Buffy ventured closer to the door. "I think they're going."

Willow shook her head. "They could be faking it."

Buffy sighed. "No, they're hungry. They'll be looking for somebody weak. I'm really sorry, Jesse. I didn't know they were gonna come after Tor.

Willow shook his head and smiled. "It's okay. I needed the exercise." Buffy smiled.

Giles stepped forward. "We must lead them back to the zoo if we're going to stop this."

Buffy nodded in the affirmative. "And before their next meal. Guess that's my job. I'll bring Mikey with."

Giles looked worried. "Well, individually they're almost as strong as you. As a group they're..."

Buffy nodded. "They're tough, but I think they're getting stupider. You guys go to the zoo and I will bring them to you." She tapped Michael on the shoulder and he followed her out of the class room slowly, sniffing the air as if to make sure the Pack was really gone. They didn't have to go far to find Xander and the Pack attacking a family jeep.

Michael came running up, grabbing Rhonda and throwing her off of the hood to the ground. Buffy climbed to the roof and did an in-to-out crescent kick, knocking Kyle off. She looked down at Xander's feet sticking out of the window. Buffy called down to him. "Didn't your mom teach you? Don't play with your food."

Xander crawled out and looked up at her. The pack gathered around him and looks up at Michael and her. She straightened and tensed up, putting her hands on her hips. Buffy beckoned with her fingers. "C'mon. You know what you want."

Michael barked at them. "Unless this old dog is too much trouble for you half-breeds to handle." Xander snarled at him. They turned, jumped off of the car and started running down the street. The pack giving chase behind them.

Willow looked grimly at the entrance. "The pathway to the Hyena House. Where's the zookeeper?"

Giles pushed his glasses back onto his head. Uh, he must be inside. I-I'll go in and prepare things. You two just warn, uh, us when you hear Buffy and the others approaching."

Jesse saluted him. "No problem boss. We'll be ready."

Giles nodded and ran in. Willow turned around to watch and wait. Jesse went around the corner to get his soda.

Giles ducks under the tape and went right into the main area. "Doctor? Uh... Zookeeper?" He heard a door close and jumped, startled by the zookeeper. He was dressed in black robes and his face was painted black and white. Giles recognised it and nodded. "Oh! Oh, of course, the, uh, Masai ceremonial garb. Yes... Very good. Are you, uh, otherwise prepared for the trans-possession?"

Dr Weirick nodded. "Almost."

Giles looked down and noticed the markings on the floor. "Oh, right! The, uh, sacred circle. Yes, you'd need that to, um... This would be here when... when the children first came. Why would you..." He stopped and something clicked. He exhaled. "How terribly frustrating for you, that a bunch of school children could accomplish what you could not. You must not be very skilled. One wasn't even in the room and got possessed by an African wild dog."

The zookeeper shrugged. "It bothered me. But the power will be mine."

Giles tried to get away, but the zookeeper hit him in the gut with his staff and again on the back, knocking him out. He tossed the staff aside and dragged Giles away.

Willow came in through the door, shouting. "They're almost here! Giles! Giles!" She saw the zookeeper. "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?"

The zookeeper pointed to the cage. "They're right here in the feeding area." Willow ran to see the hyenas, but he stopped her. "Stay back! They haven't been fed."

Willow looked around. "Where's Giles?"

"He's... laying in wait."

"They're almost here. Shouldn't you bring the hyenas out?"

"When the time is right. I'm gonna need your help." Willow didn't suspect anything as he began binding her wrists. Buffy came running in, Michael panting behind her. Buffy shouted down the tunnel. "They're right behind me!"

Willow heard her. "That's Buffy! Get ready!" The zookeeper took Willow and positioned her in front of him.

Weirick put a wicked looking knife to her throat. "Here."

Willow tensed up. "What is this?"

The zookeeper was calm. "A predatory act, remember?"

Willow exhaled deeply. "Uh, right. You'll pretend to slash my throat and, and put the evil in the hyenas?"

The zookeeper laughed. "Something like that." Willow realized the zookeeper had other intentions. Buffy came running in, but stopped short when she saw Willow being held by the zookeeper.

"Buffy, it's a trap!"

Xander grabbed Buffy from behind and they fell to the floor. The others came in and got on top of her, too. The zookeeper intoned, "YU BA YA SA NA!"

The Pack looked up at him and their eyes all flashed green. Then the zookeeper's eyes flashed green. He turned to Willow and growled. He dropped the knife, grabbed her head and moved in to bite her.

Xander called out in anger and desperation. "Willow!" He got up and charged the zookeeper, knocking him down and away from Willow. The zookeeper got up and punched Xander. Buffy got up and swung an uppercut at the zookeeper. Kyle and his gang saw the fight and began to crawl away on their butts. The zookeeper charges Buffy, but she knocked him back down. He charged her again, and she tossed him over onto his back. He got up and tried again.

Buffy ducked his blow and stepped back, dodging the zookeeper's body as Michael's foot came from the side and connected with his sternum, knocking him to the ground. "Sorry Buffy, took a wrong turn again." Buffy sighed and looked down at the zookeeper. Michael lifted him up. "Ok, where's your book of spells, witch doctor?" The zookeeper growled at him and struggled.

"Desk!" Michael nodded and dropped him to the floor. He turned around and the zookeeper jumped at his back. Buffy pushed him out of the way, but the zookeeper was grabbed in midair and thrown away towards the pit. He hit the fence and rolled over, hitting the floor with a thud. Jesse looked at Michael and Buffy, rather sheepishly.

"Sorry, I went for a soda." Michael laughed loudly while Buffy shook her head despairingly. There was a silence as the bloodied hand of the zookeeper came up to the top of the pit, but he was dragged back down with a scream. Buffy went over to look, but she looked away quickly. It was too late.

She looked away as Xander came over to untie Willow. Giles came out of the back room. Giles shook his head, dazed. "Uh, did I miss anything?"

"Apart from betrayal, death and redemption, I'd say no." Buffy giggled at Michael, while Giles glared at him. Xander and Willow were too busy hugging each other to death, Jesse looking over the side of the pit with morbid fascination.

1010101

The next day, the gang were walking through the quad outside of the prison that was Sunnydale High. Willow shuddered. "I heard Snyder's taking over till Flutie comes back from vacation."

Buffy shrugged. "It shouldn't be too hard to recover. Unless they ask what happened in that office..."

Xander asked for confirmation. "Okay, but I had nothing to do with that, right?"

Jesse shook his head. "No. You weren't there when we saved Flutie's butt."

Willow gave him a sly grin. "You only ate the pig."

Xander looked sick. "I ate a pig? Was it cooked and called bacon or..."

The girls shook their heads. Xander covered his face in shame. "Oh my God! I ate a pig? I mean, the whole trichinosis issue aside, yuck!"

Michael nodded grimly. "Not exactly kosher."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, it wasn't really you."

Xander held his head in his hands. "Well, I remember I was goin' on the field trip, and then goin' down to the Hyena House, and next thing some guy's holding Willow and he's got a knife."

Willow said quietly, "You saved my life."

Xander looked happily at his best friend. "Hey! Nobody messes with my Willow." He gave her a hug, which Michael thought would break ribs if it was any tighter. Buffy looked on and smiled. Willow smiled, too.

Buffy nodded. "This is definitely the superior Xander. Accept no substitutes."

Jesse nodded. "Only at Wal-Mart."

Xander looked on anxiously. "I didn't do anything else, did I, around you guys or anything embarrassing?" The girls smiled, and Buffy considered what to tell him.

She shook her head. "Nah!"

Willow shook her head as well, "Not at all."

"C'mon. We're gonna be late." Buffy took her hand and they went.

Willow smiled at Xander. "See you at lunch."

Xander nodded. "Cool! Oh, hey, goin' vegetarian! Huh?" He gave them two thumbs-up. Willow turned and smiles at him. So did Buffy.

Jesse tapped Xander on the shoulder. "I gotta jet, see ya bro." He went off as well.

Xander and Michael started to head the other way when they were met by Giles. "I've been reading up on my, uh, animal possession, and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards."

Michael's face darkened at the implications. Xander shifted nervously. "Did you tell them that?"

Giles leaned to Xander's ear. "Your secret dies with us." Michael nodded grimly.

Xander shook his head, ashamed. "Shoot me, stuff me, mount me."

Giles patted him on the shoulder as he shook his head and started walking along the balcony. He leaned on the railing and watched Xander and Michael go. Xander stopped by a bench and cupped his head in his hands. "I believe what I did to two of my best friends. How can they stand to be near me?" Michael sighed. He couldn't blame Xander for what happened.

"That's the point. They do stand being near because they are your friends. They know you weren't in control. I know you weren't in control. I could barely keep myself under any semblance of control and that was because the dog accepted Buffy as the Alpha. I followed her. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. I smelt the pheromones from that room and believe me, yours were not the only ones in the air."

Xander looked at Michael incredulously. "What ... you mean ... that turned her on?" He shuddered on the bench as did Michael.

"Nope. She likes strong men, but you went too far. You tried to hard and hurt her friends. That's why she ran from you before I kicked your scrawny hyena butt. You scared her. Anyway, still friends?" Michael held out his hand which Xander took. Michael grinned and turned to head off to class.

Xander shook his head, still feeling subdued. He grinned and called out to Michael. "Mangy mongrel mutt!"

Michael scowled and muttered under his breath. "Scrawny half-breed."


End file.
